


Wild Wolf

by Manwe_Stark



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brother-Sister Relationships, But officially the son of Ned and Ashara, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, House Dayne, House Martell's Water Gardens (A Song of Ice and Fire), Jon Snow is Not Called Aegon, Jon Snow is a Targaryen, N plus A equals A, Original House Dayne Character(s) - Freeform, Original House Stark Character(s) - Freeform, POV Artos Snow, POV Catelyn Tully Stark, POV Jon Snow, POV Ned Stark, Past Ashara Dayne/Ned Stark, R Plus L Equals J, Uncle-Nephew Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:22:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29287506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Manwe_Stark/pseuds/Manwe_Stark
Summary: Artos Snow, bastard son of Eddard Stark and Ashara Dayne, born shortly after King's Landing was sacked by Tywin Lannister. Taken to the North by his father, he grew up with his half-siblings. When Jon Arryn dies and King Robert Baratheon goes North, Game of Thrones begins. Will Artos survive the coming storms? I will say Winter is Coming and nothing will be the same again.I picture Artos as Bash from the Reign series(Follows the theory of R + L = J, Artos born in 282 AC)
Relationships: Arianne Martell/Daemon Sand, Arianne Martell/Jon Snow, Artos Snow & Allyria Dayne, Artos Snow & Arya Stark, Artos Snow & Edric "Ned" Dayne, Artos Snow & Jon Snow, Artos Snow & Robb Stark, Ashara Dayne/Ned Stark(Past), Catelyn Stark/Ned Stark, Cersei Lannister/Jaime Lannister, Joffrey Baratheon/Sansa Stark, Jon Snow & Arya Stark, Jon Snow & Robb Stark, Khal Drogo/Daenerys Targaryen, Ned Stark & Artos Snow, Nymeria Sand/Artos Snow, Nymeria Sand/Original Male Character(s), Renly Baratheon/Loras Tyrell, Robert Baratheon/Cersei Lannister, Tyene Sand/Artos Snow, Tyene Sand/Nymeria Sand/Artos Snow, Tyene Sand/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 21





	1. Prolog

_283 years after the Conquest, Tower of Joy_

He sees the towers before they even climb the hill. He knew he would find her there. Ashara sent him a letter from Starfall that her brother, Ser Arthur Dayne, along with Ser Gerold Hightower and Ser Oswell Whent, were guarding the Tower of Joy where Prince Rhaegar Targaryen held his sister.  
_Lya, I finally found you. I will release you and return safely to Winterfell_

Beside him or behind him were his friend. Proud Martyn Cassel, loyal to Theo Wull, Ethan Glover, who was Brandon's squire before, Ser Mark Ryswell, gentle-hearted husband and subtle in word, Howland Reed, islander, Lord Dustin on his huge red stallion. When they got there, he got off his horse briskly. He looked at the three royal guards clad in white, sullen and silent as ghosts. Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, smiled sadly. The hilt of the long sword known as Dawn protruded over his right shoulder. Ser Oswell Whent knelt down, sharpening his sword. On his shining helmet spread his wings a black bat, the coat of arms of his family. Among them, old, fierce-faced Ser Gerold Hightower, the White Bull, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.

"I looked for you on the Trident," Ned told them.

"We weren't there," Ser Gerold replied.

"Woe to the Usurper if we were there," said Ser Oswell.

"When King's Landing fell, Ser Jaime killed your king with a golden sword." I was wondering where you were then.

"Far away," replied Ser Gerold. "Otherwise, Aerys would still be sitting on the Iron Throne, and our brother, the traitor, burned in the seven hells."

"I came to Storm's End to end the siege," Ned said. "Lords Tyrell, Redwyne, and all their knights bowed their knees and paid tribute to us." I was sure I would see you among them.

"Our knees don't bend so easily," Ser Arthur Dayne said.

"Ser Willem Darry escaped to Dragonstone with your Queen and Prince Viserys." I thought maybe you went with him.

"Ser Willem is a good and righteous man," said Ser Oswell.

"But he doesn't serve in the Kingsguard," said Ser Gerold. - The guards don't run away.

"Not then or now," Ser Arthur added. He put on his helmet.

"We took an oath," explained old Ser Gerold.

The guards shook their swords in their hands. Seven against three.

"It's about to start," said Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. He took his Dawn in both hands. The blade, pale as milky glass, danced, reflecting light.

"No," Ned said sadly. -It'll be over soon. He heard Lyanna scream as they dropped him with the clash of steel.

\- Eddard!

_283 years after the Conquest, Starfall_

They could see Starfall from a distance. The Dayn ancestral home stood in the center of an islet on the swift Torrentine River, one of the Dorne's several major rivers. Ned felt tired and weary. He won the fight at the Tower of Joy, but he paid for it with the death of five comrades. Only he and Howland Reed survived.  
_And even then, the victory left a bitter aftertaste. Lyanna dies on a bed full of blood with winter rose petals._

_"Promise me, Ned," she pleaded, although the life faded in her gray eyes._

_"I promise," he whispered. - Lya, I promise ..._

He looked at his friend. He was wounded during the fights, but fortunately it was nothing serious which only pleased him. He didn't want to lose another friend. He wanted to return Dawn and replenish supplies. He had to go back North for Lyanna's bones to rest next to her father and Brandon. Catelyn bore him a son, Robb. He did not see him, but he hoped to see him soon when he returned to Winterfell. He looked at the saddlebags, among them he hid Dawn, the Dayne ancestral sword he intended to return to Lord Andrik Dayne. He also wanted to see Ashara.

_He has to understand this, I had no other choice. If he had not married Catelyn Tully, Hoster would not have backed us._

  
Nevertheless, the thought left him with a bitter aftertaste. He should never have been involved in it, but then he was not bound by word to anyone and his brother was alive. He should embrace Winterfell and marry Lady Catelyn, not him.  
When they stopped at the shore, a boat was waiting for them with two people wearing Dayne colors. When they saw them, they jumped up hastily.

"Lord Stark, Lord Dayne expects you," one of them said.

"Let's not let him wait any longer," Ned replied. He picked up Dawn and walked with Howland to the boat. He saw the men exchanging glances among themselves. They pushed the boat into the swift current of the river, then he and Reed climbed onto it, and after a while they. They swung their oars across the Torrentine and then stopped on the shore of the island. He had left the boat with a friend as the Dayne men were hauling the boat ashore. The gate stood open.

Lord Andrik Dayne was waiting for them when they crossed it. He looked at them carefully and his eyes were caught by Dawn.

\- So it happened. Arthur resolved to fulfill his duty as royal guard to the bitter end. Thanks no less for turning Dawn. My sister is waiting for you in her chamber. My servant will take you there, said the Lord.

"Okay, Lord Dayne," said Ned. He handed him back the sword.

\- You'll need supplies for the way back. I'll make sure you get them, said Lord Andrik.  
Ned followed the servant to the Ashara chamber that lay within the Brightstone Sword Tower. When he stood in front of them, he knocked. When he heard please, he opened it with a soft creak. He saw her standing over the cradle. When she turned around, he was speechless. She was as beautiful as at Harrenhal where they first met. Long, dark hair fell to his shoulders and laughing purple eyes pierced him right through. However, he did not see joy in them, but sadness smoldering like the dying out flames of a fire.  
\- Ned, I heard what happened to Elia and her children. This is a monstrous crime, neither of them deserved this fate, she said.  
\- I had an argument with Robert about it. He said he can't see children, but dragon seed. I urged him to punish Tywin Lannister for it, but he wouldn't hear of it. I left him in anger, Ashara, Ned replied, unable to meet her eyes.  
\- You see what your friend is. He won the throne on the corpses of innocent children and their mother, my friend. And the Lannisters were not only unpunished, but there is talk of Robert's potential marriage to Tywin's daughter, Cersei Lannister.  
"Unfortunately, Lyanna is dead, so Lannister can get her way," he said, feeling pained at the thought of his dead sister.  
He felt her hands cupping his. He looked into her purple eyes.  
\- I'm sorry, Ned. I lost my father, brother and sister. You must see someone, she said and led him to the cradle. There was a boy with brown hair. When he opened his eyes he could see they were purple and shiny. - He's your son, Eddard Stark.  
My son.  
He saw the boy staring at him curiously. Ned reached for it and picked it up. He cuddled against his chest. He looked at Ashara.

\- Ash, you need to know that. I had to marry Catelyn Tully to honor the Tully alliance.  
He saw her purse her lips.

"I had expected since they came to Starfall that the Basin backed the rebels," Ashara replied. - Tell me, Ned, what happened to my brother? What about Arthur?

\- I ... I killed him. Neither he nor his sworn brothers would step down. I had no other choice. I bought this victory with the loss of five of my comrades, Ned replied with difficulty. He could see tears in her eyes.

\- No, it's not possible. No, Arthur, she said, then cried out. Ned tried to comfort her but she shook his hand away.

\- I lost a friend, her children, brother and now you are the husband of another. You probably want to take our baby from me too.

\- I want to raise him in Winterfell. Should get to know his father and the house he comes from.

get to know his father and the house he comes from.

\- Artos.

\- What?

\- His name is Artos. I chose one of the northern names.

Ned looked at his son, who was looking at him curiously. He slapped his chest with his little hand.

"I won't let our baby take away from me," Ashara said.

-He is my son. I will raise him in the North with the son my wife gave birth to, Ned replied.

\- So Catelyn Tully gave you a son. He will treat our son like dirt because he is a bastard and will be a threat to his claim to Winterfell.

Ned put his son in the cradle, then looked at Ashara.  
"I know it's hard, but I promise one day I'll let him visit Starfall and meet his mother's family," he said.

Ashara walked over to him and kissed him.  
-He doesn't want to part with our baby, but you're too stubborn. Promise me that our son will find out about his mother. Let him know that she loved him the most in the world and will always love him - she said.  
\- I promise, Ash, I promise.  
Eddard embraced his beloved.  
  
Ned told Ash the truth about Jon Snow.  
\- Rhaegar and Lyanna's actions made the kingdom bleed and my friend and her children died, killed by Tywin Lannister's mad dogs. I hate them for what they did but Jon is not to blame for anything. Not his fault that he was born through the actions of two irresponsible people. Robert will kill him if he finds out and you know for hiding him from him. I won't put you or Jon to death, I love you too much, Eddard Stark. Tell your wife and anyone who asks that Jon is also my son. My honor means nothing to me. Promise me that you will raise them to be good people and tell Artos how much I loved him- said Ashara.  
\- I promise, Ash.  
Then Ashara went to get her brother. Andrik was skeptical about this.  
\- My sister loves you, and although you killed my brother, I know Arthur was always dutiful, he did not shy away from protecting Lyanna Stark and the little prince, even if it were her brother."You returned Dawn to me, and many in your place kept it for themselves. For that, I am very grateful to you. So be it, I will consider Jon Snow my nephew and will always be welcome to Starfall. He will also make sure that the Tower of Joy is completely demolished, even if someone comes looking for nothing- he said.  
Ned thanked Lord Dayne. He wanted to protect his nephew from Robert and the Lannisters, and one day he would be visiting Starfall with his cousin, or now his brother.  
  
The next day they decided to head back to the North. Lord Andrik lent him supplies for the journey and handed over to a nurse, Wylle, who will be feeding Artos and Jon when they go the long way north. He promised Lord Dayne that when he didn't need Wylla I would send her back.

Ned looked at his son, who was sleeping soundly wrapped in swaddling clothes. When Ashara came and kissed Artos goodbye, she looked at him, then he kissed the corner of his mouth and brushed his cheek with his hand.  
"Though I'd like to hate you for Arthur's death, they can't." Look after our son as best you can. He cannot lack love, even if only yours. I cannot be your wife, but I will always love you, she said.  
  
\- I'll always remember you, Ash. I gave you a piece of my heart and it won't be the same without you, Ned replied. He felt Ashara hug him. He said goodbye to her and Lord Dayne and left with Howland, Jon and Artos Starfall. He promised himself that when Artos grew older, he would find out about his mother and visit her family. He had promised this to Ashara and would keep his word.  
  
_I broke another promise, I won't break this one. I will keep my promises to Lyanna and Ash, even if I have to lie to my wife. What is not made of love._

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the Ned / Ashara ship but for storytelling reasons they will never be together again. Then we move fifteen years ahead and the beginning of the Game of Thrones.


	2. Artos

They left at dawn to see the executions. The morning was clear but cold. Brandon rode with them. My lord father decided that he was old enough to see justice being administered. He himself saw the executions for the first time when he was less than eight years old, so it was nothing new to him. His lord father always told him that the man who pronounced the sentence should carry it out.

They reached the gates of the wooden castle. Two guards were leading a ragged man. It was not a savage sworn to Mance Rayder, King beyond the Wall as Robb had suspected. Judging by the black, ragged, dirty clothes, it was the brother of the Night's Watch where his uncle, Benjen, served. He had no ears or a finger, lost in the cold, he was dirty and old and skinny. Artos was sitting on his mount next to Jon, his brother with whom they shared the same mother. Beside him was Bran on his pony and Robb on his mount. Steam from horse and human breaths mingled with each other. A violent wind blew through the gates of the city and fluttered the banner of the Starks of Winterfell: a gray direwolf racing across a snow-white field. Artos tightly covered himself with his coat.

He looked at his father, who was sitting motionless on his horse. His long brown hair was ruffled by the wind, and he was aged by a close-trimmed beard streaked with gray, although he was only thirty-five. Wrapped in furs and a gloomy gaze lurking in his eyes, he looked like the giant in Old Nan's tale. Next to him, on his mount, a ward Theon Greyjoy with his inseparable, arrogant smile. My father asked questions and the condemned man answered them, but then Artos did not remember much of it. His head was occupied by other thoughts. Finally, my father gave the order and the two guards dragged the ragged man to the hornbeam trunk in the middle of the square. They put his head on a hard black stump. Lord Eddard Stark dismounted and Theon Greyjoy brought his sword, Ice. The blade was as wide as a man's hand, and was even longer than Robb's height. Forged from Valyrian steel by magic, it was as dark as smoke and without any gap.

My father removed his gloves and handed them to Jory Cassel, the captain of the bodyguards. He took the Ice in both hands and spoke:  
-On behalf of Robert of House Baratheon, First That Name, King of Andals, Rhoynars, and First Men, by Eddard Stark, Lord Winterfell, and the Warden of the North, you are sentenced to death- After these words, he raised his sword high above his head.

Artos heard Jon addressing Bran.  
\- Hold the pony tight. And don't turn around. Father will notice if you turn around.  
The father decapitated the condemned man with one sure stroke. Blood spurted onto the ground, staining the snow bloody. One of the horses reared up and had to be held firmly to keep him from getting scared. He held Erys's lead firmly, whispering soothing words that kept the horse calm. The severed head bounced off the root and stopped at Greyjoy's legs. Theon was a skinny, dark-haired youth of nineteen who was making fun of everything. Now he also laughed and kicked his head. Artos, to put it mildly, did not like him, and he did not like him. He turned Erys and looked at his stepbrothers. Jon put a hand on Bran's shoulder.  
-You did well- he spoke seriously. Jon was fourteen years old, and he had seen justice done more than once. As they set out on the long journey back to Winterfell, it seemed to cool down though the wind had stopped. Artos and his brothers drove far ahead of the whole group; he saw that Bran's pony could hardly keep up. The sand steed of Dorne he got his name from Uncle Andrik for the thirteenth day was faster and quicker than the mounts from the North, which made Robb joke more than once that he won races only because he had a faster horse.   
Artos then reminded him that Jon had also gotten a sand mount from their uncle when they were both sent by his father to Starfall.  
  
-The deserter died bravely- said Robb. He was a big young man who grew bigger every day. Like his mother in complexion: fair skin, reddish brown hair, and the blue eyes of the Tully of Riverrun. Contrary to him, Artos looked completely different: a slightly tanned complexion, dark brown hair that fell over his forehead, and purple eyes that seemed black in the weaker light. Many thought it was the most eye-catching quality he had. At least he didn't turn out to be a coward.  
-No-said Jon Snow softly. - It wasn't brave. He was scared to death. I saw it in his eyes. Jon's eyes were gray, almost black, but they were eyes that couldn't be hidden. Actually, Artos looked more like Jon than Robb. Both tall, slender and dark-haired, although he had a wider chest. He had the eyes of their mother, but Jon had the eyes of their father. The buoys had brown hair and the long faces of the Starks of Winterfell.  
  
-I think the man was terrified, but not that his father would cut his head off- Something filled him with so much fear that he did not reach his father's words - replied Artos.  
Robb did not seem surprised.  
-Let the Others scratch his eyes- he cursed. -He died bravely. Are we racing to the bridge?  
\- Agreed- Jon said, pressing his heels to the horse's sides. Artos squeezed the sides of Erys and rushed forward. Behind him he heard Robb curse and smiled to himself. While Robb was shouting and laughing, Jon rode in silence, focused. Artos himself remained focused, rushing to the bridge. They were catching up to him slowly, but no horse in the North could match Erys. Even Jon's mount could barely catch up with him.

He was rushing forward all the time and his mount was throwing snow with his hooves, which had fallen a lot at the end of summer. He became more and more distant from his brothers. When he finally reached the north shore of the land near the bridge, he noticed something huge in the snow. He stopped Erys abruptly, then jumped briskly to the ground. The snow was up to his knees. He threw back his hood and examined the body. It was an enormous wolf as it seemed at first. However, when he looked at it closely, he was surprised to realize it was a direwolf. He took his sword out and cautiously walked over and jabbed it at it.  
He didn't flinch. He was dead.  
\- What did you find there, Arti? asked Robb, who had just arrived. Jon appeared behind him.  
\- Wilkor, dead - Artos replied and noticed their surprised expressions. Both boys jumped off their horses and came closer.  
"Direwolf hasn't been seen south of the Wall in two hundred years," Jon said.  
\- I can see now, Jon.  
-You hear that?-Robb asked.  
Artos listened to the clearing surrounding him and heard a quiet whimper. After a long while, they found the puppies buried in the snow. Robb picked up one of them.  
-The father needs to be notified. Jon, be nice and let him know - said Artos.  
-Right, Arti,-Snow replied, and ran up the hill. Artos looked at it thoughtfully. He wondered what the gods meant by that. Soon Jon came back. They talked about it, wondering. Artos noticed the approaching riders. They were the first to reach Jory Cassel and Theon Greyjoy. Greyjoy rode, laughing and joking. Artos heard the man exhaling with a hiss.  
-Gods! he called, trying to keep his balance on the horse as he reached for his sword.  
Jory already had his in his hand.  
-Robb, Artos, get away from this!-He called, and his horse reared up.  
The young man only smiled and looked over what he held in his hands.  
-She won't hurt you anymore, Jory-he said. - She's dead.  
\- Indeed, I checked myself. She is dead - added Artos.  
He watched Bran jump off the pony. Jon, Jory, and Theon also stood on the ground.  
-In the seven hells, what is it?-Greyjoy asked.  
-The wolf- said Robb.  
-Misfit- Greyjoy replied. - Look how big it is.  
-You're broke, Theon. It's a direwolf. They are so big, Artos replied, rolling his eyes.  
-This is a direwolf. They are bigger than wolves- added Jon.  
-They haven't been seen south of the Wall in two hundred years-said Theon Greyjoy.  
-But I can see now- said Jon.  
Artos laughed as Bran gave a shout of joy at the sight of the puppy that Robb was holding. The pup was a ball of gray-black fur. His eyes were still closed. Squealing sadly, he felt his mouth blindly over Robb's breast for milk.  
-Go ahead-Robb encouraged him. - You can touch him. Bran quickly stroked the puppy as Jon handed him another puppy.  
\- Here you go. - Their stepbrother handed Bran a second puppy. - There are five of them.  
-Direwolves in the kingdom after all these years-muttered Hullen, equestrian. - I do not like it.  
-It's a sign- said Jory.  
Their father scowled.  
-Jory, it's just a dead animal-he said, though he himself seemed concerned. As he walked around the wolf, the snow creaked under his boots. - Do you know what killed her?  
-He's got something stuck in his throat," Robb said, proud to be able to answer before his father asked him. - There, right under the jaw.  
Indeed, Artos saw a deer horn stuck in the direwolf's throat. He wondered how it happened.  
My father knelt down and slipped his hand under the beast's head. Then he tugged and lifted his arm high for everyone to see. In it he held a piece of a horn that had been torn off, stained with blood, and those standing around fell silent. They looked at the horns anxiously, and neither dared speak. Artos sensed their fear, although they wondered why the deer horn bothered them so much. Then he remembered that the royal house had a deer in their banner.  
A warning from the Old Gods?  
  
Father threw back the corner and wiped his hands on the snow.  
-I'm surprised she survived long enough to be spared- he said. His words broke the circle of silence.  
-Maybe she didn't make it- said Jory. - I heard ... maybe the wolf died before the puppies were born.  
-Born from the dead- someone said. - Even worse.  
-Whatever- said Hullen. - They will also die soon.  
  
Artos didn't like these words in the slightest.  
-The sooner the better- said Theon Greyjoy, drawing his sword. - Bran, get the beast over here.  
-No! Bran exclaimed abruptly. - He's mine!  
-Sheathe your sword or you will taste mine, Greyjoy-Artos said, taking the blade out. The hilt was shaped like a white wolf's head. A shooting star was engraved on his forehead.  
-You be careful, bastard. I don't listen to people like you-Theon replied.  
Artos wanted to punch him in the face.  
-Put the sword down, Greyjoy- Robb said. For a moment it seemed as if his father, the Lord he would become. - We keep these puppies.  
-Boy, you can't do that- said Harwin, Hullen's son.  
-We will show our heart by killing it,-added Hullen.  
\- Son, Hullen is right. Better to give them a quick death than to let them die slowly of cold and hunger, my father said. - And you, Artos, hide your sword. Do not take it out if you are not going to use it.  
-Okay, Father-Arti replied, and sheathed the sword in its leather sheath.  
\- No! Bran exclaimed, turning his head.  
Robb also wouldn't budge.  
-Ser Rodrika's red bitch was littered last week-he said. - Only two puppies survived, so she will have enough milk.  
\- He will tear them apart as soon as they try to latch on.  
-Lord Stark- Jon said. This official tone made Artos surprised. - We found five puppies - he turned to his father. - Three males and two females.  
\- So what, Jon?  
\- You have five children from the right bed. Three sons and two daughters. This she-wolf is like a symbol of your House. These puppies are meant to stay with your children, my lord.

  
Artos understood Jon's intentions and words well. The only reason why the numbers matched was that Jon hadn't mentioned himself or him. He mentioned little girls, even little Rickon, but did not mention the two bastards with the surname Snow, a surname customarily given to people in the North who were unlucky enough to be born anonymous.  
Father quickly understood.  
-So Jon, you don't want the puppy for yourself?- he asked gently.  
-Direwolf is on the banner of the Stark family- Jon noted. - I don't have their last name, Father.  
\- And you Artos?  
-As Jon said, the direwolf is on the banner of the Stark family. I don't have their last name. I'm Snow, not Stark, Father, 'he replied, feeling his stomach tighten. It was never pleasant though he learned to live with it.  
Father watched them for a moment, which Robb used.  
-Father, I'll take care of the puppy myself- he said. - Soak a towel in warm milk and let it suck.  
\- Me too! Bran shouted.  
The Lord looked closely at his sons for a long time.  
\- Easy to say, harder to do. I will not let you bother the service. If you want to keep puppies, you have to feed them yourself. Sure?  
-You'll train them yourself, too- Father added. - You and no one else. I promise no one in the kennel will even touch these monsters with a finger. God help you if you neglect your animals, treat them brutally, or train them badly. These are not some mongrels that will beg for food and get away from the kick. The direwolf will tear your arm off as easily as a dog tears a rat. Do you still want to keep them?  
-Yes, Father-Bran said.  
-Yes- Robb echoed.  
\- Puppies can die no matter how hard you try.  
-They won't die- Robb assured him.  
\- We won't let them die.  
-Then keep them, Jory, Desmond, take the rest. Time to go back to Winterfell.  
  
Artos was already getting on Erys when he heard soft squeaking. He looked at Jon, exchanging a long glance, then followed him towards the source of the sound. They found two puppies. One was white as snow and the eyes were red as the blood of a condemned man. Beside him he was the color of soot, and his eyes were black like the blackest night. He took it and his stepbrother took the white one. He and the puppy climbed onto the horse and he and Jon ran to his father and the rest of the group.  
\- He must have disconnected from the others- Jon said.  
\- Or he was chased away- his father added, looking at the sixth puppy.  
-Albino-said Theon Greyjoy, forcing a smile on his lips. - It will die before the others.  
Jon Snow cast a cool look at his father's ward.  
-I don't think so, Greyjoy- he said. - He belongs to me.  
-And this one is for me," Artos replied, feeling the puppy sniffing his breast.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A first look at Artos Snow and his interactions with some of his siblings. Then we'll see what Ned Stark thinks about it.


	3. Eddard

After arriving in Winterfell, he went to Godswood where he cleansed himself as always after doing justice. He gave his horse to the stable and instructed the attendant to bring him an impregnated cloth to clean the Ice. When she was brought, he walked silently towards God's Grove. He passed watchtowers, towering oaks, and hornbeams as old as the earth itself. He could feel a thick layer of decay under his feet that crunched as he walked.  
  
  
In the middle of the grove, by a small pond filled with black, cold water, stood a weirwood, the heart tree as it was called. The bark is white as bone, leaves like blood-red hands falling to the ground. A face was carved into the trunk, a long and thoughtful face; deep-cut eyes, red with dried juices, seemed to be watching closely. He sat down beneath it, soaked the cloth in water black as night and began to run it along the blade, cleaning it carefully. He only focused on cleaning the Ice from the blood of the Night's Watch deserter. It bothered him. It was the fourth case of the year and Ben wrote him that the Night Watch didn't have even a thousand people. One of the reasons for this was that many died in forays beyond the Wall to fight the Wildings . Also that Mance Rayder ... that Night's Watch deserter who has declared himself king beyond the Wall and is gathering the chiefs of the Wild tribes around him. A day may come when he has no option but to summon the banner and march north.  
He paused a moment in cleaning his sword. They found direwolves today and all his children, including Jon and Artos, had them.  
_Artos_

When he looked at his eyes, he saw Ashara. It was enough for him to close his eyes and see her face. Long, dark hair that fell over her shoulders. Her sweet smile and those unusual purple eyes. He promised her that he would raise their son, that he would love him. And he kept his word. Artos was important to him no less than Robb, Jon, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon. It was not easy to part with him for the few years when he sent Artos and Jon to get to know his mother's family better. He often wrote it to let his son know that he had not forgotten about him and to see how he was doing at Starfall. His son was good at using a sword, ax, mace, and bow. He drove well and knew how to use a copy. He was no less proud of him than of the rest of his children. "Ned," he heard a soft, familiar voice. He looked up to see Catelyn.  
  
-Catelyn- he said. - Where are the children?  
\- In the kitchen. They argue over the names of their wolf puppies. She spread her coat on the ground and sat on the edge of the pond, leaning her back against a tree.  
\- Arya has already loved hers, Sansa is also smitten, but Rickon is insecure.  
\- He's scared? Ned asked.  
-A little- she replied. - He's only three.  
\- He frowned. - He must learn to face his fears. He'll get older. Besides, winter is coming.  
-Yes- Catelyn said. -That man died bravely, I have to give him that," Ned said. In his hand he held a piece of leather soaked in oil. He ran it slowly over the dark blade until it glowed.  
\- Bran has done bravely too. You'd be proud of him.   
-I'm always proud of Bran," Catelyn replied. Ned knew Brandon was her favorite child. He himself did not favor any of his, although he tried to make for Artos and Jon to have a happily childhood.  
-Fourth this year- Ned said grimly. The poor man was half mad. Something filled him with so much fear that my words did not reach him. He sighed. - Ben writes that there aren't even a thousand people in the Night's Watch. And not only because of desertion. They also lose people during the forays.  
\- By the wild? she asked.  
\- Only because of them? Ned picked up his sword and looked along its cool blade. - There will come a day when I will have no choice. I will be forced to raise my banners and travel north to face the King-beyond-the-Wall.  
\- Outside the Wall? Ned saw the worry on her face.  
\- Mance Raydera shouldn't be worried- he replied.  
\- There are dark creatures beyond the Wall. He smiled gently.  
\- You listen to too much Old Nanny's stories. Others died as well as the children of the forest, they have been gone for eight thousand years. Maester Luwin even claims that they were never here. No one alive saw them.  
\- Just like no one saw the direwolf this morning- Catelyn said.  
-I should have known by now that you shouldn't argue with someone from the House of Tully- he replied, smiling sadly. He slipped the Ice into the sheath .-But you didn't come here to tell me stories.- I know you don't like this place. What's the matter, lady?  
  
Catelyn grabbed his hand.  
\- My lord, we have received sad news. I didn't mean to make you sad until you cleanse yourself. I'm so sorry love. Jon Arryn is dead.  
Ned felt as if someone had punched him in the head. Jon Arryn is dead !? He was like a second father to him when his own father sent him over as a ward when he was eight. He made friends with Robert Baratheon who was like a brother to him. when the Mad King murdered his father and brother and demanded his and Robert's heads, Jon Arryn preferred to raise a banner with the moon and falcon rather than let those he had promised to protect hurt. He looked at his wife. One day, fifteen years ago, his other father also became a brother when they stood together in the sept of Riverrun to marry two sisters, the daughters of Lord Hoster Tully, though if she had the opportunity, Ashara would be his wife.  
\- Jon ...-he said. - Is that certain news?  
\- Confirmed with the royal seal. Robert wrote the letter himself. I kept it for you. He writes that Lord Arryn left quickly. Even Maester Pycelle couldn't help him. He just gave him poppy-seed milk so that Jon wouldn't suffer long.   
-It is little grace-he replied. - And your sister? And Jon's boy's? What does he write about them?  
-All I know is that they are doing well and have returned to the Eyrie- Catelyn said. -I wish they'd gone to Riverrun." Eyrie is high and out in the middle of nowhere, and it is her husband's home. Each stone will remind her of it. I know my sister. Her need for the comfort of family and friends.  
-Your uncle is waiting in the Vale of Arryn, isn't he?- I heard Jon was making him the First Knight of the Gate.  
Catelyn nodded to him.  
\- Brynden will do whatever he can to comfort her, her and the boy, but ...  
-Go to her- Ned said. - Take the kids. Let them fill their home with laughter and noise. Her boy needs the company of other children. Lysa should not be left alone in suffering.  
  
  
If only I could do it, Catelyn said. - The letter contains other news as well. The King comes to Winterfell, he wants to see you.  
After a while he realized the meaning of his wife's words. He smiled, he couldn't wait to see his old friend again. Robert Baratheon was like a brother to him. Together they fought against the Targaryens to avenge the deaths of his father and brother and to save Lyanne. Her words still haunted him.  
_Promise me, Ned.  
  
_-Robert's coming?” He asked.  
Catelyn nodded and he grinned wider.  
-I knew you'd be pleased- his wife said. - We should send a message over the Wall to your brother.  
\- Of course- he replied. - Ben will definitely want to accompany us. I'll have Maester Luwin send the fastest bird. Ned got to his feet and helped Cat stand up. - How long has it been for me? And nothing else in the letter? At least he writes how many people will come with him?  
-A hundred knights, I suppose, each with his entourage, and at least fifty free. Cersei will also be there with the children.  
-Probably because of them, Robert will take his time- he said. - And good. At least we can prepare ourselves.  
-The Queen's brothers are also coming- he said.  
Ned grimaced. He still remembered the bodies wrapped in crimson cloaks by Tywin Lannister. Robert looked at them and said he saw no children, only dragonspawn. This led to an argument with him. He went away furious to end the siege of Storm's End and head to the Tower of Joy. Ashara sent him a message about her location and that Rhaegar was holding Lyanne there.  
-Well, if the price for Robert's company is to be the Lannister plague, so be it- So it looks like Robert will be bringing half the court with him.  
-Wherever the King goes, his subjects are going.  
\- I'd love to see his children. The youngest was still at the breast when I saw them for the last time. Now the boy is probably five years old, isn't he?  
-Prince Tommen is seven- she explained. - He's Bran's age. Please, Ned, keep your mouth shut. The Lannister Woman is our Queen, and they say she is getting more proud every year.  
Ned shook her hand.  
\- But there is a feast with music. Robert will definitely want to hunt. I will send Jory south with the honor guard to greet him on the royal road and lead him to us. Gods, how are we going to feed them? Are you saying they're on their way? Damn him, I would have tiled his royal skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ned loves Catelyn, but has not forgotten Ashara, the mother of his son Artos. Then the arrival of King Robert with his court at Winterfell.


	4. Artos

The guests sailed through the castle gate in a river of gold, silver, and polished steel. Three hundred men, the flower of knighthood, sworn swords, and also free. A dozen golden banners fluttered over their heads in a northerly breeze, each bearing a crowned deer of the Baratheon. Artos was behind his father, Lady Stark, and the half-siblings between Jon Snow and Theon Greyjoy in the second row.  
  
He watched the arriving knights from the royal entourage with interest. He met Ser Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer in the white plate armor of the Kingsguard with wrought gold hair, and behind him a man with a horribly burned face who must have been Sandor Clegane. The tall boy next to him must have been the heir to the throne, and the shrunken little man behind them must have been a Dwarf, Tyrion Lannister.  
When he saw a huge man at the head of a column with two knights of the Kingsguard, at first he did not know who it was until he remembered his father's story of Robert Baratheon, the Demon of the Trident, the most brave warrior in the kingdom.  
He felt disappointed.  
  
Instead of a great warrior, he saw a bloated, sweaty fat with a large bushy beard and tousled hair who looked eternally tipsy. The king jumped off his horse briskly and embraced his lord father with a crushing embrace.  
\- Gods, it's good to see that cold face of yours again-The king looked closely at his father and laughed. - You haven't changed a bit.  
_But you have changed, and very much-_ Artos thought, although he did not say it aloud. Robert Baratheon was still a king, though the gods only know what.  
-Your Grace, Winterfell is yours- said Lord Eddard Stark.  
The other guests were also getting off their horses, for which the grooms were coming. The Queen, Cersei Lannister, entered the gate with the younger children on foot. The carriage they had arrived with - a huge oak carriage with two tiers pulled by forty draft horses - turned out to be too wide for it to pass through the castle gate.  
He saw his father kneel in the snow and kiss the queen's ring, and the king embraced Lady Stark and then her grace brought princes Joffrey and Tommen, and Princess Myrcelle. With a stoic expression, he watched his father and Lady Stark portray his half-siblings, both of course being left out of him and Jon. He felt a bit of bitterness in his mouth but swallowed it.  
The formal greetings had not finished well yet when the King addressed his father:  
\- Take me to the crypt, Eddard. I will pay my respects.  
  
Artos guessed it was Aunt Lyanne. Before Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapped his aunt, she was engaged to Robert Baratheon, who at the time was Lord of Storm's End. However, his aunt died at the end of the war so King Robert eventually married Cersei Lannister. Father ordered lanterns to be brought, and the queen tried to protest: they rode all day, everyone was tired and cold and they would certainly want to refresh themselves first, the dead can wait. It only took one look from Robert to shut her up. Her twin brother Jaime took her arm.  
  
Artos watched as his father led the king to the crypt where many of the Lords of Winterfell and formerly the Kings of the North were buried, as he remembered from Maester Luwin's lesson. When they went down to the crypts it was possible to disperse. Artos immediately retreated to his room, flapping his black fur coat.  
  
On the occasion of the king's arrival in Winterfell, he dressed sumptuously in a gray woolen robe, a brown doublet tied at the front and sleeveless, black trousers and high leather boots that trampled the snow. He heard the tumult of screaming servants, wagons entering, and the general commotion accompanying King Robert's arrival to Winterfell. Now he preferred to avoid contact with Lady Catelyn Stark, his father's wife, who hated him and reminded him at every turn that this was not his place. He therefore considered his time at Starfall the best of his life, away from Lady Stark's eyesight. But he stopped bothering himself with it.  
He saw the First Tower before him. At its top, he had his chambers where he liked to spend time away from his father's wife or anyone who had something against him. He pushed the door open, climbed the stone steps, and when he reached the chamber, he opened the door and stepped inside. He took off his coat and belt which he hung on the peg next to the door and threw himself on the bed. He looked up at the stone ceiling.  
His chamber was quite large with a bed next to the window overlooking the whole of Winterfell, a desk and chair in front of him, a wide and high shelf on which his favorite books were located, a chest at the base of the bed where he kept some of his clothes, a wardrobe next to it the shelf in which he had the rest of his costumes, a small table in the corner of the room with a pile of parchments and a quill pen. On the wall hung his reflective Dornish bow which he had brought from Dorne and beneath it stood his simple armor, a combination of chain mail, hardened leather and plate.  
  
He lay on the bed wondering. In the evening there will be a feast on the occasion of the arrival of King Robert so he will have to change, besides Lady Stark will probably order him and Jon to sit between the pews so as not to offend the royal family.  
_This is nothing new. Whenever your lord father visited one of the Northern Lords, he could not sit down with the rest of his half-siblings. Besides, he eats with his family on a daily basis.  
_He felt something heavy on his chest. He looked up to see Shadow, his direwolf. He stared at him with eyes as black as onyx. He ruffled his fur.  
-What's up, Shadow-he said. The Direwolf grinned and took his fingers lightly. It amused him. - You want to play? So I'll play with you.  
He got up, picked up the puppy and put it on the floor where the rushes lay. For the next hour, he played with the direwolf, teaching him a few tricks like giving a front paw or standing on two legs. It was a lot of fun and Shadow fell on his back once.  
  
After that, he began to prepare for the feast. He went to the adjoining room where he usually took baths. An elderly servant prepared it for him and brought him a fresh gray-green wams, gray trousers, and a long gray top robe with slits at the front and back. After thoroughly scrubbing himself and dressed, he was ready. He went to his chamber, where he fastened his belt, but left the sword and dagger in the chamber. He won't need them today.  
-You will come with me, Shadow-he said. He knew that if he sat at the benches, no one would notice Shadow, considering how many dogs there were. He guessed that the lord father would not let the direwolves be taken to the feast, but no one would notice anyway. The direwolf looked at him with black eyes. He bent down and ruffled his hair.  
-Good wolf.  
  
He sat on the bed, staring at the direwolf. He and his siblings lost their mother to a deer horn. It reminded him of losing his mother himself.  
When he was about to go to Starfall to meet Uncle Andrik and Aunt Allyrie as well as cousin Edric with Jon, the father invited him and Jon to his solitude and told about their mother. How they met in Harrenhal and fell in love with each other. How he wanted to marry her, but the outbreak of war prevented it, about their last meeting and how a few moons later found out that she had committed suicide by jumping from the tower. He sometimes envied Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon that they had a mother to turn to with their problems or just be comforted or cuddled.  
He and Jon had only a father except they both had an uncle, an aunt and a cousin in Starfall as well as their half-siblings, and Uncle Benjen who occasionally if he could visit them as he was the First Rangers in the Night's Watch.  
  
He also thought about what he could do afterwards. As a bastard he didn't have many options. He could join the Night's Watch, go to Essos to join some free company and live by the sword, go to the Citadel and become a maester, or serve Robb as one of the house guards, or with Uncle Andrik and then cousin Edric in Starfall. There was also an option to serve in the Kingsguard if he managed to become an even better swordsman than he was now.  
He sighed. He would still have time for that. Now it was time to wait for the evening and the feast for the arrival of Robert Baratheon, King of Andals, Rhoynars, and the First Men, ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, and his Protector.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The arrival of King Robert through the eyes of Artos, not Ned. Then a feast on the arrival of the king and a meeting with a well-liked Lannister.


	5. Jon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter based on the first chapter of Jon from Game of Thrones George R.R. Martin

There were times - not very often - when Jon Snow was glad to be a bastard. As he filled his cup with wine once more, he thought it was one of those days.  
He sat comfortably on the bench between the young squires and took a sip of lukewarm wine. He smiled at his sweet, fruity taste in his mouth. His brother Artos sat across from him, sipping healthy wine from his goblet and feeding his direwolf, Shadow. Jon and Arti got along very well.

They were both sons of the same mother. He remembers several years ago when his father sent their to Starfall. Jon remembers fondly the time he went with Uncle Andrik to the Sunspear to talk to Prince Doran Martell and the famous Red Viper, Prince Oberyn Martell, or when he was with Artos at the Water Gardens and met some of the Red Viper bastard daughters (Artos was most interested in Nymeria Sand, called Lady Nym, who liked to tease him as much as Tyene, Oberyn's blonde-haired daughter) and Prince Dorne's heiress, Princess Arianne, who was kind and alluring to them. He remembered how awkward he had felt in her presence, exercise with Ser Cahir Dayne, who is their mother's cousin and the best armorer in all of Dorne, walks with Aunt Allyria (with occasional trips with her to the harbor town outside Starfall for shopping), games and training with cousin Edric whom everyone called Ned, which was strange to him considering that his father was called that. He once asked his uncle why his mother had thrown herself off the tower when she knew that his father had taken them to raise them at Winterfell. He could see Andrik Dayne's face tightened in a grimace, and he replied that regret for Elia, her children, and Arthur, coupled with Eddard Stark taking her children, made her fall down the tower. Then he was silent and would not say anything else about it.

Nevertheless, he considered the time spent in Dorne to be the best in his life, although he lacked Robb, Arya, Bran and even little Rickon, but he was free from the poisonous glares of Catelyn who at every step said that he did not fit here, that it was not his place. Their father loved them, but he also loved his lady wife and did not oppose some of her actions against them. He thought about his mother, Lady Ashara Dayne, with haunted purple eyes, as he had once heard from the whispers of Lady Catelyn's maidservants at the well and he had seen her portrait in Starfall among the portraits of other lords and Lady of House Dayne.   
  
The Great Hall of Winterfell was filled with smoke and the smell of roasted meat and freshly baked bread. The walls of gray stone were covered with banners. White, golden, crimson: Stark direwolf, Baratheon crowned deer, and Lannister lion. Bard hummed a ballad, but at that end of the room his voice drowned out the roar of the fire, the clink of dishes, and the muffled voices of the peppy revelers.

The fourth hour of the welcome feast in honor of the King was passing. Jon's brothers and sisters were seated, along with the royal children, under a raised platform where Lord and Lady Stark received the King and Queen. On such a special day, my father undoubtedly allowed the children to drink a cup of wine, but no more. And when Jon was in his place, he could enjoy it without moderation. Like Artos, though his brother was more restrained in drinking. He was just talking about once with their cousin Edric Dayne they made a joke to Lord Dayne's steward. Apparently, they fell on him and poured water over him as he passed. Jon laughed at that, remembering Waymar's face when he came out all wet.  
And he did so, to the delight of the young men seated around him, who constantly encouraged him whenever he was emptying his cup. Jon listened greedily to their stories of the battles, the girls he encountered, and the hunts. Doubtless he preferred their company to eating with the King's descendants. He satisfied his curiosity at the very beginning of the feast, when they entered the hall. The entire procession was passing right next to his bench, so he had a chance to get a good look at them.

His lord father, who was leading the Queen, appeared first. Nothing has been exaggerated by those who praised her beauty. Her long golden hair gleamed with a stone-set tiara, and the emeralds adorning it harmonized perfectly with her green eyes. His father helped the Queen up the stairs to the dais and led her to the site, but she didn't even look at him. Jon knew exactly what her smile was hiding, even though he was only fourteen.  
King Robert himself appeared behind them, with Lady Stark leaning on his shoulder. Jon was completely disappointed by the king, and his father had talked about him often before: the incomparable Robert Baratheon, the demon of the Trident, the fiercest warrior in the kingdom, a giant among princes. Meanwhile, Jon saw a bloated man with a red face and beard, sweating heavily under his silk robe. He looked a bit tipsy. Then came the children.

Little Rickon, first, tried to walk with the dignity and dignity of a three-year-old boy. Jon had to push him to keep walking when the little boy stopped and stared around curiously. Just before Robb walked, in a gray woolen robe with white trim - these were the colors of the Starks. He was leading Princess Myrcella, a little girl less than eight years old with golden, curly hair that cascaded over her shoulders under a jeweled net. Jon noticed she glanced shyly and smiled at Robb as they walked between the tables, finding she looked stupid. Robb didn't notice and smiled like an idiot, his stepsisters leading the royal sons. Arya was given a chubby young Tommen, who had blond hair that was longer than hers, as a companion. Two years her senior, Sansa led the heir to the throne, Joffrey Baratheon. Though he was only twelve years old and younger than Jon, Artos or Robb, he turned out to be taller than them, which Jon noted with horror. Prince Joffrey had blonde hair like his sister and dark green eyes like his mother. Thick, pale curls fell over his gold chain and high velvet collar. Sansa beamed alongside him, but Jon did not like Joffrey's pouted lips or the bored, contemptuous gaze that cast Winterfell's Great Hall.

Jon took a closer look at the next couple: they were the Queen's brothers, the Lannisters of Casterly Rock. A Lion and a Dwarf that could not be confused. Ser Jaime Lannister was Queen Cersei's twin brother: tall with golden hair, sparkling green eyes, and a smile that could cut like a knife. He was dressed in crimson silks, tall black boots, and a black satin coat. At the front of his tunic roared defiantly a lion embroidered with golden thread, his family crest. He was loudly called the Lion of the Lannisters, and behind his back was called the "Kingslayer." Jon couldn't take his eyes off him. This is what a king should look like, he thought as Jaime Lannister passed by.  
  
Only after a long moment did he look at the other brother: he was walking in a duck-like gait, partially hidden behind his brother. Tyrion Lannister, Lord Tywin's youngest descendant, and the ugliest so far. The gods shook him off of everything they had gifted Cersei and Jaime. He was a dwarf half the size of his brother. He fidgeted quickly with his short legs, trying to keep up with him. His head was too big for the rest of his body, his eyebrows were prominent, his face was flat and austere, and under the fringe of his sparse, almost white hair, one green and one black eye peeked out. Jon watched him in fascination. Jon's uncle, Benjen Stark of the Night Watch, was the last to enter, and with him was his father's fosterling, young Theon Greyjoy. As he passed, Benjen gave Jon and Artos a warm smile. Theon completely ignored them, but this was nothing new to Jon. Once they were all seated, toasts were made, thanks, and the feast began.  
  
Then Jon started to drink and hasn't stopped until now. He noticed Arti giving a tasty morsel to his direwolf, who was content to eat the chicken leg.  
He felt something brush against his leg under the table. Jon saw red eyes staring at him.  
  
\- Hungry again? he asked. Half of the honey chicken was still lying in the center of the table. Jon reached out to tear his leg off, but at the last moment he slammed the entire half on the knife and let it drop to the floor. Ghost rushed greedily at the meat without making the slightest noise. His brothers and sisters were forbidden to bring their direwolves to the feast, but this part of the room was swarming with mongrels, so no one noticed his puppy. He thought that he was lucky in this respect as well as Artos. Jon rubbed his eyes hard, cursing the smoke. He took a long sip of wine and watched his direwolf devour the chicken. Other dogs scuttled between the tables, following the servants. The black bitch with slanting yellow eyes smelled the chicken. She stopped and slipped under the bench to steal some of the puppy's loot. Jon watched both dogs. The bitch growled softly and moved even closer. Ghost lifted its head silently and stared at her with its red eyes. The bitch snapped her teeth defiantly. It was three times the size of a puppy. Ghost didn't move. Standing over his prey, he opened his mouth and bared his fangs. The bitch bristled, barked again, but didn't come any closer. She turned and walked away with her tail down. As she walked away, she snapped her teeth once more, trying to save her honor. Jon smiled and reached under the table to swaddle his shaggy white fur. The direwolf looked at him and grasped his hand gently with his teeth, then resumed his food. Ghost returned to its chicken.  
  
-Is this one of those direwolves I've heard so much about?- a familiar voice said.  
Jon noticed Artos raised his head and smiled.  
-Uncle Ben-he said.  
Jon looked up happily, and at the same moment Uncle Ben put his hand on his head and ruffled his hair, just as he had just ruffled his puppy's fur.  
-Yes- he replied. - It's called the Ghost. Uncle Benjen also ruffled his half-brother's hair.  
One of the squires interrupted the dirty story and made a seat at the table for his lord's brother. Benjen Stark straddled the bench and took the goblet from Jon's hand.  
-Summer wine- he said, taking a long sip - There is no sweeter drink. Jon, how much have you already drunk?  
Jon smiled. Ben Stark laughed.  
\- I was afraid of that. Well, I think I was even younger when I first got drunk. And you, Artos, how much did you drink?  
-Not so much, uncle- Artos replied innocently, smiling weakly.  
  
From the platter on the table he took a roasted onion dripping in a thick sauce and took a bite. There was a loud crunch. Jon's uncle had a sharp, stern face like a mountain crag, but his blue-gray eyes were always sparkling with mirth. He wore black, as befits a man of the Night's Watch. That evening it was rich black velvet, high leather boots, and a wide belt with a silver buckle. A heavy silver chain rested on his chest. Benjen watched contentedly as the Ghost eats chicken.  
  
-A very calm direwolf- he observed.  
-He's different from the others- Jon said. \- He never speaks. That's why I called him the Ghost. And because it is white. Those are dark, gray or black.  
\- You can still meet direwolves beyond the Wall. We hear them during our forays- Benjen Stark looked more closely at Jon and then at Artos. \- You usually eat at the table with your brothers, right?  
-Mostly,- Jon replied, his voice neutral. -But today Lady Stark decided that the royal family might be offended if bastards were seated at their table-It did not escape his notice that Artos pursed his lips tightly.  
\- I understand. His uncle glanced over his shoulder at the table on the dais at the far end of the room. \- My brother doesn't seem in the mood to play today.

Jon noticed it too. The bastard had to learn to see many things, to recognize the truth behind glances. His father was courtly, but Jon could see a tension in his face that he had not seen in a long time. Eddard Stark sat barely speaking, his eyes absent from the distance. The king, two places away from him, drank heavily all evening. His face, partially hidden behind an enormous black beard, glowed with a blush. He raised more and more toasts, reacted with loud laughter to every joke, and threw himself at the next dish as if he were starving. The Queen sitting next to him looked like an ice sculpture.

  
-The Queen's not in the mood either,- Jon noted in a low voice. -Father took the King to the crypt this afternoon, and she didn't want him to go there.  
Benjen looked at Jon searchingly.  
\- Not much to hide from you, Jon? We need such people on the Wall.  
Jon straightened up.  
\- Robb is good at using the lance, but I have a better sword. And Hullem says I hold my horse perfectly.  
\- Well, here I would argue. I wield a sword better than the two of you, and I ride horses excellently. Hullem says I had to be born in the saddle, Artos interjected, teasing Jon.  
Ben Stark laughed at that.  
-A remarkable achievement, nephews- he said.  
-Take me with you when you come back to the Wall- Jon said suddenly. - Father will allow if you ask him.  
  
Uncle Benjen was watching him closely.  
\- Jon, Wall is a tough place for a boy.  
-I'm almost a man now- Jon protested. -I'll be fifteen the next day of my name, and Maester Luwin says bastards grow up faster.  
\- Maester Luwin sometimes doesn't know what he is talking about. A bastard and the trueborn is not so different - said Artos.  
-I don't doubt it-Benjen replied, suppressing a smile. He picked up Jon's goblet from the table, filled it with wine, and took a long drink.  
\- Daeron Targaryen was only fourteen when he conquered Dorne- Jon said. The young dragon was one of his favorite heroes.  
-But the battle lasted all summer- said my uncle. -Your young King lost thirty thousand men before he conquered Dorne, and an extra twice as many trying to hold them. Someone should have told him war was no game. - He drank some wine. - Plus,he added, wiping his mouth, Daeron Targaryen was only eighteen when he died. Maybe you forgot about it?  
  
-I'm not forgetting anything- Jon replied proudly. The wine made him bold. He tried to sit up straight to look even taller. - Uncle, I want to serve in the Night's Watch.  
He thought about it for a long time, lying in bed at night, with his brothers asleep. Robb will inherit Winterfell someday, leading a great army as Warden of the North. Bran and Rickon would be his standard bearers and take command of the strongholds on his behalf. His sisters Arya and Sansa would marry the descendants of great families and travel to the castles of the south. And what could a bastard count on? He also wondered what about Artos. His brother was as much a bastard as he was, but he did not reveal what he planned to do in his life. He knew him enough, however, that he knew that he was not interested in the Night Watch, he suspected that he would rather go to Essos and join one of the free companies or he would travel to Westeros as a hedge knight like Ser Duncan the Tall, whom Artos had seen, although he himself said that he was rather naive. Sometimes he wondered whether he should follow his brother if he decided to take either of these paths. As bastards, they couldn't count on much and it would be better together.  
\- Jon, you don't know what you're asking for. The Night Watch is sworn people. We don't have families. Neither of us will ever become a father. Our wife is servants and our mistress is honor.  
\- The bastard has honor, too- said Jon. - I'm ready to take your oath.  
-You're only fourteen- Benjen said. - You're not a man. You haven't had a woman yet, and you don't know what you would have to give up.  
\- I do not care about it! Jon gasped.  
\- Maybe it would if you knew what you had to lose-Benjen said. -You wouldn't be out so eagerly then, son.  
Jon felt anger welling up inside him. - I'm not your son!  
Benjen Stark got up. - All the more pity. He put a hand on Jon's shoulder.  
\- Come to me after you've sired some bastards. We'll see what you say then.  
Jon shivered.  
\- I'll never get a bastard- he drawled. - Never! He blurted out the word like a viper.  
  
  
Suddenly he realized that those sitting at the table had fallen silent and looked at him. Feeling tears streaming into his eyes, he stood up heavily.  
-Forgive me-he said.  
He turned on his heel and started walking before anyone noticed that he was crying. It turned out that he had drunk more wine than he had realized because his legs were tangled and he collapsed to his side, bumping into the maid, and knocked the jug of wine out of her hands. There was laughter, and Jon felt hot tears on his cheeks. Artos tried to support him, but he broke away from him and went towards the door. He heard his call behind him but ignored it. Ghost did not leave him a step, and together they went out into the dark night.  
There was silence in the empty courtyard. High on the battlements of the inner wall stood a lone guard wrapped tightly in his cloak. He looked cold and bored, but Jon would love to trade with him. The entire castle was dark and deserted. Jon had seen a deserted city once, a terrifying place where nothing moved except the wind, and the stones were ominously silent, hiding the secrets of the people who once lived there. That night, Winterfell reminded him of that place, music and singing streaming through the open windows behind him. Jon didn't want to listen to them. He wiped his tears on the sleeve of his shirt, angry that he had allowed himself to cry, and started walking.  
  
\- Boy. - He heard someone's voice. Jon turned around. Tyrion Lannister sat like a chimera on a stone ledge above the door to the great hall, and the dwarf watched him smiling. - Is this animal a wolf?  
\- Direwolf- Jon said. - It's called the Ghost. He stared up at the dwarf, curious, forgetting his anguish.  
\- What are you doing? Why aren't you at the party?  
-It's too hot and too loud inside, and I've had too much wine- the dwarf replied.- I found out long ago that it's rude to puke on my own brother. Can I get a close look at your wolf? Jon hesitated for a moment, but then nodded slowly.  
\- Will you go down by yourself or should I bring a ladder?  
\- Come on," the dwarf replied. He pushed himself off the ledge and jumped down. Jon opened his mouth and watched, speechless as Tyrion Lannister collapsed into a ball, landed on his arms, and bounced back to finally stand on his feet. Ghost recoiled, the dwarf burst out laughing and dusted his clothes.  
  
\- I think I scared your wolf. Forgive.  
\- He didn't get scared- Jon said. He knelt down and called out-Come here, Ghost, come on.  
The puppy moved closer and brought its snout closer to Jon's face, never taking his eyes off Tyrion Lannister. As the dwarf stretched out his arm to pet him, the wolf stepped back and bared his fangs.  
\- Shy, what? Lannister noted.  
\- Sit down, Ghost- Jon ordered. - All right, come on. He looked up at the dwarf. - Now you can pet him. He won't move until I tell him. That's how I taught him.  
-I can see it- Lannister replied. He ruffled the snow-white fur between the Ghost ears and said: Good wolf.  
-If I wasn't here, he'd have torn your throat- Jon said. It wasn't entirely true, but he believed it would.  
-Then don't go too far- replied the dwarf. He tilted his oversized head and looked closely at Jon with eyes of different colors.  
  
\- I am Tyrion Lannister.  
-I know,- Jon said, standing up. He was bigger than a dwarf now, which embarrassed him.  
-You're one of Ned Stark's bastards from Lady Ashara Dayne, aren't you?- Jon felt a chill envelop him. He pursed his lips tightly and said nothing.  
\- Have I offended you? - Lannister asked. - Excuse me. Nobody expects kindness from midgets. With generations of bucking fools in motley clothes, I don't have to take care of my outfit and I can say whatever I like. He bared his teeth in a smile. -Then you are one of those bastards.  
\- Lord Eddard Stark is my father- Jon said in a strong voice. Lannister studied his face.  
\- That's what he said. - Without a doubt. You have more features of the people of the north than your brothers.  
\- Half-brothers - Jon corrected. The dwarf's words pleased him, but he would not reveal it.  
-Let me give you some advice, bastard, Lannister continued. - Never forget who you are, because the world will not forget it. Make it your strength and it will no longer be your weak point. Make it your armor and no one will use it against you.  
At this point, Jon didn't feel like listening to anyone's advice.

  
\- What do you know about what it's like to be a bastard?  
\- In the eyes of their fathers, all midgets are bastards. '  
\- You're the real son of a Lannister mother.  
\- Really? the dwarf replied, smiling grimly. - Tell that to my lord father. My mother died giving me birth, so he was never sure.  
\- I don't even remember mine. I was an infant when my father took me and Artos to Winterfell.- Jon said.  
\- She was definitely beautiful. Jaime told me that Lady Ashara Dayne was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Of course, not within our sweet sister's ears. Cersei hates it when someone is more beautiful than her- He smiled sadly at Jon. - And remember something else, boy. All bastards can be bastards, but not all bastards need to be midgets. After these words, he turned to see Artos Snow who approached them while they were talking.  
-Lannister- he said firmly, with determination on his face.  
-And you must be one of Ned Stark's bastards- Tyrion replied.  
\- Artos Snow.  
\- I see you have more northern features than your brothers except Jon Snow, but I see you have your mother's eyes too.  
-My mother was Lady Ashara Dayne, Tyrion Lannister. Same as Jon.  
\- It explains those eyes and that you are more handsome than your father- replied Tyrion.  
\- Are you mocking me, Lannister? Artos asked.  
\- No, I just think you're similar to your mother and your brother to your father . After these words, he turned and returned to the feast, whistling.  
As he opened the door, his long shadow fell across the courtyard floor, and Tyrion Lannister, though for a moment, seemed as huge as a king.  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jon and Artos always stick together. Then Catelyn talks with Ned about Lysa Arryn's accusation of the Lannister killing of Jon Arryn.


	6. Catelyn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm not a fan of Catelyn so don't expect her to be nice here.

Of all the rooms of the Great Tower of Castle Winterfell, Catelyn's sleeping quarters were the warmest.  
The castle was erected in a place where hot springs broke out, so its hot water flowed through its walls like blood in a human body, thanks to which they warmed the stone halls, filled the greenhouse gardens with damp heat and did not let the earth freeze. Steam from the pools beat day and night in a dozen little courtyards. In summer it was a trivial matter, but in winter it meant the difference between life and death. Catelyn's bath was always steaming and hot, and the walls of her chamber were warm to the touch. The warmth reminded her of Riverrun, sunny days with Lysa and Edmure, but Ned had never liked it. He kept telling her that the Starks were made for the cold, and she laughed then and replied that they had put their lock in the wrong place, so when they were done, Ned slid off her and got out of bed as he used to do. do. He crossed the room, pulled back the enormous heavy curtains, and began opening the tall and narrow windows one by one, letting the night air into the chamber. The wind swirled around him as he stood staring into the darkness, naked, empty-handed. Catelyn pulled the fur up to her neck and looked at him. Now he seemed smaller, weaker, like the young man she had married in the vulture in Riverrun fifteen long years ago. There was still pain in her loins from his insistent thrusts, but it was a pleasant pain. She could feel his seed in her and prayed that it would come to life. It's been three years since Rickon's birthday. She wasn't too old and could give him one more son.  
  
\- I'll refuse him,-Ned said, turning to her. He stared blankly, and there was uncertainty in his voice. Catelyn sat up in bed.  
\- You can not. You mustn't.  
-I have enough responsibilities in the North, and I don't want to be Robert's Hand.  
\- He won't understand. He's a King now, and kings aren't the same as ordinary people. If you do not want to serve him, he will start to wonder why, and sooner or later he will become suspicious that you are not favorable to him. Don't you see the danger you might bring on us?  
Ned shook his head in disbelief.  
\- Robert would never hurt me or anyone in my family. We were closer than brothers. He loves me. If I say no to him, he'll get mad and curse me, but within a week we'll laugh at it. I know him!  
\- You knew another man," she said. - The king is someone else. Catelyn remembered a dead direwolf found in the snow with a horn pierced through its throat. She wanted to show him that.  
  
-My lord, pride is everything to the King." Robert has come a long way to personally bestow this enormous honor on you, and you must not throw it in his face.  
\- An honor? Ned laughed bitterly.  
-In his opinion- she said.  
\- And in yours?  
-In mine too- she said, angry now. Why didn't he see it? How else can he be treated? He wants our daughter to marry his son. Sansa might become a queen someday. Maybe her sons will rule from the Wall to the mountains of Dorne. What's wrong with that?  
\- Gods, Catelyn, Sansa is only eleven- Ned said. - And Joffrey ... Joffrey is ...  
\- ... heir to the throne - she finished for him. "I was only twelve when my father promised me to your brother Brandon.  
Ned grimaced.  
\- Brandon. Yes, Brandon would know what to do. He always knew. It was all meant for him. You, Winterfell, everything. He was born into the Hand and father of future queens. I have never asked for this cup.  
-Maybe not- Catelyn said- but Brandon is dead and you got the cup and you have to drink from it whether you like it or not.  
  
Ned turned to the window again. He stood staring into the darkness, maybe he was looking at the moon, or at the stars, or at the guards guarding the walls. Catelyn fell silent as she saw him suffer. Eddard Stark had married her in Brandon's place, as was tradition, but the shadow of his deceased brother was still between them, as was the other one, the shadow of a Ashara Dayne and who bore him a bastards, Artos i Jon Snow.  
She was just about to approach him when there was a knock, loud and unexpected. Ned turned, his brow furrowed.  
  
\- What's up?  
Desmond's voice came from outside the door:  
\- My lord, Maester Luwin has arrived and asks for your urgent hearing.  
\- Did you tell him I didn't order to let anyone in?  
\- Yes, my lord, but he insists.  
\- Well. Let him in.  
Ned went to the closet and pulled on a heavy robe. Catelyn felt a sudden chill. She sat up in bed and tugged the fur up to her chin.  
-Maybe we'll close the windows- she suggested.  
  
Ned nodded thoughtfully. At that moment, Maester Luwin appeared. He was a slight man with a sallow complexion. His sharp, gray eyes could see a lot. The hair that was left turned gray. He was dressed in a gray wool robe trimmed with white fur, the color of the Starks. The insides of his wide sleeves concealed pockets, into which Luwin always put various items, books, messages, toys for children and various strange things. Catelyn often wondered if he could even raise his hands. The maester waited silently until the door closed behind him.  
\- My Lord," he said to Ned. - Forgive me for disturbing your rest. I left a message.  
  
Ned glared at him.  
\- Left behind? Who left? Messenger? Nobody informed me.  
\- There was no messenger, my lord. Just a carved wooden box left on the table in my observatory while I took a nap. My servants saw no one, but it must have been someone from the royal entourage. We didn't have any other guests from the south.  
\- The casket, you say? Catelyn said.  
\- Inside I found a wonderful magnifying glass for my observatory. It may be thought to come from Myr. There are none better than the masters of Myr.  
Ned frowned. Catelyn knew he wasn't interested in such things.  
-Magnifier- he repeated. - What does that have to do with me?  
-I asked myself a similar question- replied Maester Luwin. -I figured there must be more to it.  
Catelyn shivered under her thick fur. - A magnifier is an instrument that helps us see something better.  
\- Exactly. Luwin ran his fingers along the heavy collar of his Order's robes; the old man's neck was wrapped around a heavy chain, each link forged from a different metal.  
  
Once again Catelyn felt a shiver of fear.  
\- What should we see more clearly?  
\- I was also wondering about that. Maester Luwin pulled a tightly rolled paper from his sleeve. - I found the real news hidden under the double bottoms when I opened the case, but it is not for me.  
\- Then give it to me. Ned held out his hand.  
Luwin stayed where he was. - Forgive me, my lord. Sorry, but the message is not for you. It is meant for Lady Catelyn's eyes, and only for her. Am I allowed to get closer?  
Catelyn nodded. The maester placed the roll on the table by the bed. There was a blue wax seal on it.  
Luwin bowed and began to back away.  
-Stay- Ned ordered sternly. He looked at Catelyn. - What is going on? My lady, you are trembling.  
-I suppose so- she admitted. She reached out and picked up the letter from the table with a trembling hand. The fur fell, revealing her naked body. The falcon is pressed into the blue wax against the backdrop of the full moon. The seal of the Arryn family.  
\- From Lysa. Catelyn looked at her husband. "We won't be pleased with this news," she said. - It carries sadness. I feel it.  
Ned scowled.  
\- Open the letter.  
  
Catelyn broke the seal. Her eyes drifted over the words. At first she understood nothing. Only after a moment did she remember.  
Lysa didn't want to take any chances. In childhood, we only used a known, invented language.  
\- Can you read it?  
\- Yes.  
\- Then tell us what he writes.  
-Perhaps I should leave- said Maester Luwin.  
-No-Catelyn stopped him. - We're gonna need your advice. She threw back the fur coat and got out of bed. As she walked through the cold room, she felt as if she were in a tomb.  
Maester Luwin looked down. Even Ned looked surprised. - What are you doing? he asked.  
"I'm lighting a fire," Catelyn replied. Putting on her robe, she knelt over the extinct fire.  
"Maybe Maester Luwin ..." Ned began.  
"Maester Luwin picked up all my children," Catelyn said. "Now is not the time for false modesty."  
She tucked the paper under the smaller pieces of wood and placed a larger piece of wood on top of them. Ned walked over to her and pulled her to her feet. Her face was close to his.  
  
\- My lady, tell me! What's that news? ”He felt Catelyn's body taut under his fingers.  
\- Warning- she said softly. - If we have the sense to listen to them.  
He kept his eyes on her face. - Speak.  
\- Lysa writes that Jon Arryn was murdered- His fingers tightened on Catelyn's shoulders.  
\- By whom?  
-By the Lannisters- she replied. - By the Queen.  
Ned released his grip. There were deep red marks on her skin.  
-Gods- he whispered hoarsely. -Your sister is filled with pain. He doesn't know what he's saying.  
-He knows- Catelyn replied. Yes, Lysa is impulsive, but the news was well planned and cleverly hidden. She realized she would die if this letter fell into the wrong hands. She must have been guided by more than just suspicion to risk so much. Catelyn looked at her husband.  
-We have no choice now. You must become the King's Hand. You have to go south with him and find out the truth.  
  
At that moment, she realized that Ned was thinking something else entirely.  
\- The only truths I know are here. The south is a habitat of vipers which I do not want to enter. Luwin tugged on his chain where it had rubbed the delicate skin of his neck.  
\- My lord, the King's Hand is very powerful. Power to discover the truth behind Lord Arryn's death and bring his killers to justice. It will also allow him to defend Lady Arryn and her son, if the worst turns out to be true.  
Ned looked helplessly around the room. Catelyn was with him with all her heart, but she knew she was not allowed to take him in her arms at the moment. Victory first, for the sake of the children.  
  
\- You say you love Robert like a brother. Would you leave your brother surrounded by Lannisters?  
\- Let the Others kidnap you- he cursed under his breath. He turned and walked to the window. Catelyn was silent, and so was the maester. They waited patiently while Eddard Stark silently bid farewell to his beloved home. When he turned to them again, he spoke in a tired, sad voice, and moist sparks glistened at the corners of his eyes.  
\- My father went south once, summoned by the King. He never came home.  
\- Different times. Another King, said Maester Luwin.  
-Yes- Ned said grimly. He sat down on the chair by the fire.  
\- Catelyn, you will stay in Winterfell. His words struck her like a gust of cold wind.  
-No- she replied worriedly. Was she to be punished this way? Never see his face again, never feel his embrace?  
-Yes- Ned said firmly. -You will rule the North on my behalf while I deal with Robert's affairs. Someone of the Starks must remain in Winterfell. Robb is fourteen. Soon he will be a grown man. He has to learn to rule and I won't be there to show him everything. Let him participate in the consultations. Let him be ready when his time comes.

-Soon, if the gods permit-muttered Maester Luwin.  
\- Maester Luwin, I trust you as I trust my brother. Give my wife advice on all things, big and small. Teach my son everything he needs to learn. Winter is coming.  
Luwin bowed his head gravely. Nobody spoke for a long moment until Catelyn found the courage to ask the question she most feared.  
-What about the other kids?-Ned extended his arms and pulled her toward him, their faces facing each other.  
-Rickon is small- he replied gently. - He should stay with you and Robb. The other kids will come with me.  
-I can't take it- she said, shivering.  
-You must- he replied. - Sansa has to marry Joffrey. Now I have no doubts about that, so we must not make them any suspicion of our devotion. In addition, the time has come for Arya to learn about the court life of the south. In a few years she will be able to look for a husband.  
  
_Sansa will shine to the south_ , Catelyn thought, and Arya definitely needs polite. With pain in her heart, she accepted their departure. But not Bran, just not him. Never.  
-Fine- she said. -Ned, however, please, for the love you have for me, please keep Bran in Winterfell. He's only seven.  
-I was eight years old when my father sent me to the Eagles' Nest to look after me- replied Ned.  
-Ser Rodrik says Prince Joffrey and Robb aren't very fond of each other. It's not healthy. Maybe Bran will facilitate their reconciliation. He is a sweet boy, cheerful and likeable. Let him grow with the royal sons, let him befriend them, as I made friends with Robert. It will only increase the security of our family.  
He was right. Catelyn knew it, but it made her suffer no less. She was about to lose all four: Ned, both girls and sweet, lovely Bran. Only Robb and Rickon will remain. She was lonely already. Winterfell was so huge.  
\- At least make sure he stays away from the walls- she said boldly. - You know how Bran likes climbing.  
Ned kissed her tears before they could run down her cheeks.  
\- Thank you, my lady- he said in a whisper.- I know how hard it is for you.  
  
-What about Jon and Artos Snow, my lord?-said Maester Luwin. Catelyn froze at the sound of those names. Ned sensed her anger and stepped back.  
  
Many men owned bastards. Catelyn matured with this knowledge already. So she was not surprised when, in the first year of their marriage, she found out that Ned had fathered two sons with a girl she had met by chance on one of their trips. She understood, he had his needs, they had spent the whole year apart, he in the war, in the south, she was safe in her father's castle in Riverrun. She paid more attention to Robb, whom she was still carrying at the breast at the time, than to the husband she barely knew. She understood that she needed comfort in between battles. She also had no doubts that she would take care of the child if he happened to father one.  
But he went further. The Starks were different from other men. Ned took his bastards home and, in front of all the north, called them "sons." When the wars finally ended and Catelyn went to Winterfell, Jon, Artos, and their mummy had settled in. Though she later found out that Artos Snow had been bred before them by marriage, she couldn't forget that he and Jon reminded her more of Ned than any of the sons she had borne him.  
  
It was a painful blow for her. Ned had barely mentioned the mother of the children, but nothing was hidden in the castle, and soon Catelyn heard more and more scraps of conversation between servants repeating stories of their husbands, soldiers. The name was given to Ser Arthur Dayne, known as the Sword of the Morning, the most valiant of the seven guardian knights of King Aerys. It was said that their young lord had defeated the knight in a duel. They also told how Ned later took Ser Arthur's sword to his young and beautiful sister, who waited in a castle called Starfall, on the shore of the Summer Sea. Lady Ashara Dayne, tall and beautiful, with piercing purple eyes. For two weeks, Catelyn found the courage, and finally one night when they were lying in bed, she looked her husband straight in the eye and asked him to tell her the truth.  
Ned looked at me sharply then.  
\- Their mother is Lady Ashara Dayne, I promised her that I would raise our sons to be good people. Let that be enough for you.  
  
He undoubtedly loved Ashara very much, as he did not want to listen to Catelyn's pleas to send them back. For that one thing she never forgave him. She loved her husband with all her heart, but she could not evoke a similar feeling towards Jon and Artos. She would forgive Ned and a dozen bastards if he only left them somewhere far away. Jon and Artos were with them, however, and they grew and looked more and more like Ned, more than any of the children she had borne him. This fact deepened her wound.  
  
\- Jon and Artos have to go - she said now.  
-He, Artos, and Robb are very close- Ned said. - I was hoping ...  
-They can't stay here ..." Catelyn interrupted him. -They are your sons, not mine. I don't want them here. She knew how her words hurt him, though they were true. Left at Winterfell, the boys wouldn't have a light life.  
Ned gave her a tortured look.  
\- You know I can't take them south. There is no place for them at the court there. Boys with a bastard name ... you understand what it would be like. They will avoid them.  
Catelyn chose to remain adamant to her husband's request, which he did not utter aloud.  
-They say your friend Robert fathered a dozen bastards himself.  
\- But neither of them was seen outside!" Ned snapped. -The Lannister Woman took care of that. Catelyn, how can you be so cruel? They're just boys. They...  
  
He could feel anger rising in him. He intended to go on, but was interrupted by Maester Luwin.  
\- There is another solution," he spoke softly. Your brother Benjen visited me recently, my lord. He was coming in about Jon. The boy seems to be thinking of wearing black clothes. Ned looked at him in amazement.  
\- He wants to join the Night's Watch? Catelyn was silent. Let Ned digest the news. Right now she was ready to kiss the maester. The solution seemed perfect to her. Benjen Stark was a Sworn Brother. He would treat Jon like a son he would never have. Someday, the boy will also take an oath, so that he will not father sons who could compete for Winterfell with Catelyn's grandchildren.  
  
-My lord, it is a great honor to serve on the Wall- said Maester Luwin.  
-Yes, even a bastard can go high to serve on the Wall- Ned observed. He spoke in a tormented voice. - Jon is so young. If he had asked for it as a man ... but he's only fourteen ...  
-A hard sacrifice," admitted Maester Luwin. - But times are hard. Your dear, my lord, like your mistress's dear, it does not seem any easier.  
\- What about Artos? Catelyn asked.  
\- He doesn't seem to be interested in the Night Watch. He wonders what he will do next, Luwin replied.  
\- I can send him to Starfall. I know his uncle Andrik Dayne is currently Lord- Ned said reluctantly.  
\- I think it's a good idea, my lord. Bastards in Dorne are treated differently from those in the other Seven Kingdoms- replied Maester Luwin.  
Catelyn thought of the three children she would part with. It was not easy for her to remain silent. Ned turned to the window thoughtfully. Finally he sighed and turned to Maester Luwin.  
\- Well. It's probably for the best. I'll talk to Ben. - When are we going to tell Jon and Artos? the maester asked.  
\- Just in time. First we have to make preparations, and this will take us at least two weeks. Let Jon and Artos enjoy these last days. Summer will end soon, and so will their childhood. When the time comes, I'll tell them myself.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Catelyn doesn't really like Jon and Artos, probably because although Artos was born before Ned and Cat's wedding, he is older than Robb. Then Artos and Jon watch duels in the fields where Arya joins them.


	7. Artos

He sat on the stone windowsill with his legs tucked under his chin and watched the exercises in the courtyard. Jon sat across from him and their direwolves, Shadow and Ghost sat next to them. He felt Shadow tugging at his tunic, demanding attention.  
\- Not now, Shadow. You don't see I'm busy, he replied to his pet, but the direwolf clearly didn't care.  
  
Artos gave up and watched what was happening in the courtyard. He saw Robb standing in front of Prince Joffrey and a crowd of men and boys gathered around them, among whom he noticed Theon Greyjoy wearing a black coat with a golden kraken, his family coat of arms, who cheered Robb to fight Prince Joffrey. Everything was supervised by Ser Rodrik Cassel, a tall man with substantial sideburns who was the Winterfell armorer and who was training recruits for the father's guard and training them on a daily basis. Well, while he was at Starfall, he and Jon had trained with his uncle's cousin, Ser Cahir Dayne, but he remembered when old Cassel had trained him, Robb, and Jon.  
He watched Prince Joffrey attack Robb, but his brother easily blocked his cuts and went on the offensive himself. The first time the prince managed to block the attack, but the second time he was hit in the hand and after a while he landed flat in the courtyard.  
He laughed.  
  
\- He boasted that he was a fighter and so easy to defeat our brother- he said to Jon, who apparently shared his amusement at the situation. He looked again at the courtyard where Joffrey stood on his feet and demanded a rematch. Robb, who had drunk a cup of water, agreed to it.  
The fight did not last long. After a short exchange of blows, the prince tasted the earth again when he was knocked over it.  
Then he got up and walked off as unrepentant, walking into the shadow of the great wall surrounded by men in the colors of the Lannisters and Baratheons.  
He watched the duels that followed the departure of Prince Joffrey; many people fought, he even saw Theon duel Robb in which his stepbrother emerged victorious. They were not involved in it; bastards were not allowed to beat young princes. Any bruises could only be inflicted by the trueborn, which he considered unfair but that was bloody life. Besides, the fight with prince Joffrey would not be a challenge and plump prince Tommen also does not have any battle skills. He noticed him among the audience and also their brother Bran. He and Jon watched as Ser Rodrik ordered the guards to dress them thickly. Bran looked fat and Prince Tommen who was plump before has now become literally round. They began striking each other with wooden swords under the watchful eye of Ser Rodrik, who was watching closely.   
  
Then Shadow jumped into his lap. Artos was amused, he stroked his fur.  
\- I see you need my attention, Shadow- he said. Watching the exercise going on downstairs, he thought of his half-sisters.  
  
Sansa was the perfect lady, looking like her mother, Lady Catelyn Tully Stark, including her approach to them. She always referred to them as stepbrothers and sometimes even bastards, and always kept them away from them. He did not blame her, she had imitated her mother in everything from childhood. Sansa dreamed of a handsome knight or a noble prince, and her head was filled with songs of minstrels and bards about noble knights, beautiful ladies and brave princes. Never mind that the reality was far from this, and what he heard recently from the servants could indicate that she would be engaged to Prince Joffrey Baratheon. Pity your sister now, Joffrey was such a little brat that you want to shove into shit and not pull out.  
  
Arya, Arya, on the other hand, was the only child of their father, Lady Catelyn, to look like the Starks of Winterfell, with a long face, brown hair, and gray eyes, stubborn, firm, and full of her everywhere. Some of the guards called her Arya the Ubiquitous, although he had heard Jeyne Poole call her Arya Horseface once, argued with her that it was not right to call the daughter of the Warden of the North by the daughter of the steward, which ended with Sansa standing up for her and insulting him. Arya loved horse rides, fencing, and archery, and hated wearing dresses and anything else about being a lady. More than once, he or Jony had secretly given her sword lessons at Godswood.  
Shadow suddenly jumped off his lap. Artos looked after him and saw him and the Ghost sniffing Nymerie, Arya's direwolf. He also spotted Arye herself.  
  
He smiled.  
  
She was his favorite sister.  
  
Jon looked at Arya closely.  
-Little sister, shouldn't you be learning the straight stitch now?  
Arya grimaced. - I wanted to see them fight.  
\- So come on. - He smiled.  
Arya climbed onto the windowsill and sat down between them. He ruffled her hair and she smiled.  
It was their little sister who had come for an exercise between Prince Tommen and Bran, which was not the most interesting. Drawbars like exhausted workhorses and the plump prince looked like he was about to capsize. He and Jon were close to Arya, he remembered when she asked Jon if she looked like a bastard or was a bastard, and Jon reassured her and explained that she was not a bastard.  
-A little more exhausting than needlework- Jon noted.  
-But also more fun than needlework- Arya replied.  
\- Why aren't you there with them? Arya asked Jon after a moment.  
He smiled weakly.  
-Bastards are not allowed to beat up young princes- he replied. Any bruises on their bodies must be inflicted with the sword of the rightly born.  
\- Oh. Arya looked confused.  
  
They watched as their little brother beat Tommen.  
-I could fight as well as Bran," she said. -He's only seven and I'm nine.  
Artos looked at her with Jon.  
-You're too skinny-he said. He felt her arm muscle and he sighed, shaking his head.  
\- You probably wouldn't even raise your sword, little sister." And if you were to swing it ...  
Arya tore her arm away and glared at him.  
Jon ruffled their sister's hair. They watched Bran and Tommen circle each other.  
\- See Prince Joffrey? Jon asked.  
He saw Arya look for him.  
-Look at the coat of arms on his cloak- Jon said.  
Artos had seen this coat of arms before when the idiot prince passed them.  
There was a beautiful shield on his mantle. It was divided in half and in one half is decorated with a crowned royal deer and the other half with a Lannister lion.  
-The Lannisters are proud- Jon noted. - The royal coat of arms is not enough for them. She puts her mother's line next to him, as if they were equal.  
\- A woman is important too!-Arya protested.  
Artos and Jon chuckled at that.  
\- Maybe you should do the same, little sister. Combine Tully and Starks on your coat of arms.  
\- A wolf with a fish in its mouth? She laughed. "That would look silly." Besides, why does a girl need a coat of arms if she can't fight?  
Jon shrugged.  
\- Girls get coats of arms but don't get swords. Bastards are given swords, but not coats of arms. It is so, little sister, but it is not me who made the rules.  
\- Basically we can have a coat of arms, Jon. Let's just reverse the colors of the Stark coat of arms. Instead of a gray direwolf on a white background, a white direwolf on a gray background. Anyway, even the Ghost is white, so it is all the more suitable for you to wear such a coat of arms as I do, although it could take a black direwolf on a gray background - Artos interjected.  
Jon looked at me.  
\- Maybe so, brother, but I'm not convinced of it.  
Artos shrugged his shoulders.  
\- Your choice, Jon.  
  
  
There was a scream in the courtyard. When they looked down, Prince Tommen fidgeted with his arms and legs, trying unsuccessfully to get up. He looked like a turtle turned over on its back. Bran stood over him, sword raised, ready to hit him as soon as he got up. The viewers burst out laughing.  
\- Enough! Ser Rodrik called. He gave the Prince his hand and pulled him up. - Good job. Lew, Donnis, help them undress. He looked around. Prince Joffrey, Robb, one more round?  
Robb, still sweating from the previous fight, set off eagerly. - I'd like to.  
Joffrey stepped out of the shadows, obeying Rodrik's call. His hair shone like solid gold. He looked bored.  
\- Ser Rodrik, that's good for kids.  
Theon Greyjoy laughed, which was more like a short bark.  
\- But you are children- he said a snack.  
-Robb might be- said Joffrey. -But I'm a Prince and I'm fed up with pummeling the Starks with a toy sword.  
-You've been given more times than you managed to ask so far- Robb said. - You are afraid of?  
Prince Joffrey looked at him.  
-Oh, I'm shivering, terrified- he replied. - You're so much older than me. Several of the Lannisters burst out laughing.  
Jon frowned as he studied the entire scene. -Really, Joffrey is such little shit- he told Arya.  
Artos laughed at it.  
  
Prince Joffrey is more than shit. It is one big pile of dung that you do not know who is just because he was born a prince, but a warrior he was not, although his father was a Demon of the Trident and was a famous warrior wielding a great war hammer which smashed the chest of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen.  
Ser Rodrik nibbled on his gray sideburns thoughtfully.  
\- What do you suggest? he asked the Prince.  
\- Sharp swords.  
-Okay- Robb replied immediately. - You'll regret it! The Armorer put a hand on Robb's shoulder to get him  
to calm down.  
-Sharp swords are too dangerous, but I will let you duel with dull-bladed tournament swords.  
Joffrey said nothing, but one of the men, the knight with black hair and a scarred face that Artos knew as Sandora Clegane, the Prince's sworn shield, stepped out in front of Joffrey.  
\- You're talking to your Prince. Who are you, ser to him to order?  
\- I'm Winterfell's armorer, Clegane, and you'd better not forget that.  
The man with the scars on his face looked at Robb.  
\- How old are you, boy?  
\- Fourteen- Robb replied.  
\- I killed a man for the first time when I was twelve. You can probably guess that I didn't do it with a blunt sword.  
Artos noticed how Robb bristled. His pride was hurt. He turned to Ser Rodrik.  
\- Let me. I will beat him.  
-Beat him with a tournament sword- Ser Rodrik replied.  
Joffrey shrugged.

-Stark, come see me when you grow up a little. Just don't be too old. The Lannisters burst out laughing.  
Robb's curses echoed off the walls of the courtyard. Arya covered her mouth, terrified, and Artos clenched his fists. Theon Greyjoy grabbed Robb's arm to pull him away from the Prince. Ser Rodrik nibbled at his mustache, embarrassed.  
Joffrey pretended to yawn and turned to his younger brother.  
\- Come on, Tommen- he said. - End of fun. Let the children continue to play alone.  
The Lannisters burst out laughing again, and Robb shouted more curses. Ser Rodrik's face flushed with rage beneath his gray whiskers. Theon held Robb in an iron grip until the Duke and his men walked away to a safe distance.  
Artos became convinced that Joffrey Baratheon is an asshole and a little shit. He looked at Jon and Arye.

Jon watched them walk away while Arya watched Jon. His face was as still as a pond in the heart of Godswood.  
Finally he jumped off the windowsill.  
-The show is over- he said. He leaned down and scratched the Ghost behind his ear. The white wolf rose and rubbed its head against his leg.  
\- You'd better run to your room, little sister. Septa Mordane are probably looking for you already. The sooner he finds you, the milder your punishment will be. You'll be sewing all winter. When the spring thaw comes, they will find your body with a needle in your frozen hand.  
\- I hate sewing! Arya blurted through her teeth. - It's unfair!  
-Nothing's fair- said Jon. He ruffled Aryi's hair and walked away with his wolf. Nymeria followed suit them, but then she stopped and turned back.  
Arya walked reluctantly in the opposite direction.  
Artos looked like that for a moment and then jumped off the windowsill, took a Dornish bow and quiver which he had brought with him and headed for the courtyard. Shadow followed closely behind him. As he stood in front of one of the straw shields, he took out an arrow and drew a string. He imagined himself shooting Prince Joffrey with that disgustingly pleased expression and golden locks.  
The arrow hit the center with a clatter.  
He immediately improved his mood. It was going to be a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jon, Artos and Arya are a trio that stick together. Next Bran then climbs the tower and hears words that may shake the Seven Kingdoms.


	8. Bran

The hunt began at dawn. The king requested a boar for the evening feast. Prince Joffrey went with his father so Robb could join the hunters too. They were also accompanied by Uncle Benjen, Jory, Theon Greyjoy, Ser Rodrik, and even funny little brother of the Queen. After all, it was the last hunt. In the morning of the next day, they would set off south.  
Bran stayed with Jon, Artos, the girls and Rickon. Only Rickon was still little, the girls were girls, Artos practiced archery in the courtyard and his wolf was with him, and Jon and his wolf had disappeared somewhere. Bran wasn't looking too eagerly.  
He thought Jon was angry with him. Moreover, these days Jon seemed angry with everyone around him. Bran didn't know why. Jon was supposed to go with Uncle Ben to the Wall and join the Night's Watch. It was almost as interesting to Bran as the trip south. And yet it was Robb who was going to stay in the castle, not Jon.  
  
He remembered yesterday the king and his father summoned Jon and Artos to the Great Hall where, in front of the entire royal entourage and the household of Winterfell, they were legalized as Jon and Artos Dayne. He saw the amazed and surprised expressions of his older brothers and the joy on their faces. He heard Artos say he was planning to go south to Dorne to his mother's family. Bran envied him a bit. Dorne appeared to him as an unusual place. It was there that Nymeria of Rhoyne joined forces with Mors Martell and together they conquered all of Dorne, and even the Dragons could not conquer her by force.  
  
Bran couldn't wait for them to leave. He was to ride the royal road on his own horse, not on a pony. His father will become the King's Hand, and they will all live in the Red Castle in King's Landing, a castle built by the Dragon Lords. Old Nan said there were ghosts there, and also dungeons where terrible things were done and dragon heads hung on the walls. Bran felt a shiver at the thought of such things, but he was not afraid. Why would he be afraid? His father will be with him and so will his knights.  
Bran was going to become a knight too, one of the Royal Guard. Old Nan said she owned the finest swords in the entire kingdom. There were only seven of them, they wore white armor, had no wives or children, and they served only the King. Bran knew all the tales of knights in the Kingsguard. Their names sounded the same to him sweet as the most beautiful melody.  
  
Ryam Redwyne cheese. Prince Aemon, the Dragon Knight. Twin brothers, Ser Erryk and Ser Arryk, who killed each other long ago, in the war called the Dance of the Dragons, when the brother fought against his sister. White Bull, Gerold Hightower. Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, Artos and Jon's uncle. Barristan the Bold.  
  
Two of the knights of the Royal Guard came with King Robert. Bran watched them then, fascinated, but never dared to speak to them. Ser Boros was a bald man with a drooping face, and Ser Meryn had his eyes tucked under drooping lids and a rust-colored beard. Ser Jaime Lannister looked more like the knights in the story. He also belonged to the Kingsguard, but Robb said Ser Jaime had killed the old man earlier the mad king and should no longer count. The most remarkable of the surviving knights was Ser Barristan Selmy, called Barristan the Bold, commander of the Kingsguard. My father promised to see Ser Barristan when they arrived at King's Landing. So Bran was marking the days on the wall, looking forward to when they would leave. He was to see a world he could only dream about and start a life he had never dreamed of.  
Meanwhile, the final day had come, and Bran unexpectedly felt lost. Until now, Winterfell was his only home. His father told him to say goodbye that day, which he was trying to do. After the hunters left, he went through the castle with his wolf to visit all those he was about to leave here: Old Nanny. Gage, the cook, Mikken from the smithy, Hodor, the groom who was still smiling, tending his pony and never saying anything except in one word "Hodor", the man from the glass gardens who gave him blackberry ...  
  
Only now everything seemed different to him. First he went to the stables to see his pony, but thought it was no longer his pony. He was supposed to leave him in the stable and ride a real horse. Unexpectedly, he just wanted to sit down and cry. So he turned and ran out of the stable before Hodor and the other boys noticed his tears. His goodbyes ended there. Bran spent the rest of the morning in Godswood trying to teach his wolf to bring sticks, but failed to do so. The young wolf seemed smarter than all the hounds in his father's kennel, and Bran would have sworn he understood his every word, yet he showed little inclination to fetch sticks.  
  
Bran still couldn't decide what to name his pet. Robb named his wolf Gray Wind because he was running very fast. Sansa the wolf was named Lady, Arya named her puppy after some ballad queen, and little Rickon called his wolf Shaggy, which Bran found silly considering the name was supposed to be a direwolf. Artosa's wolf was named Shadow and Jon's white wolf was named Ghost. Bran wished he had figured it out himself, even though his wolf wasn't white. He had come up with hundreds of names in the past two weeks, but none seemed appropriate to him.  
  
Finally he got bored of throwing sticks and decided to climb a little. He had not been in the demolished tower for a long time, so he decided to go there one last time before leaving.  
He raced across Godswood on the longer road, so as not to pass the pond where the heart tree grows, because it scared him. The tree shouldn't have eyes, he thought, and no branches that look like hands. The wolf did not leave him a step.  
-Stay here- he said to the beast as they stepped under the guard tree near the armory wall.  
\- Lie down. Yes. Stay.  
The wolf lay down obediently. Bran scratched his head, then jumped up, grabbed the lowest branch, and pulled him over. He was climbing slightly, higher and higher, and was already halfway down the tree when the wolf rose and howled.  
Bran looked down. The wolf stopped howling and stared at him with narrow yellow eyes. Bran felt a strange shiver. After a while he kept climbing. The wolf howled again.  
\- Hush - he shouted. - Sit down. Stay. You are worse than your mother. - He heard howl all the time until he climbed high enough that he could jump onto the roof of the armory and disappeared from view.  
To the boy, Winterfell was a stone gray labyrinth of walls, towers, courtyards, and tunnels that stretched in all directions. In the old parts of the castle, corridors led up and down, so it was often difficult to tell which floor it was. The castle grew over the centuries like a monstrous stone tree, as Maester Luwin once explained to him, a tree with bent branches and roots deeply rooted in the ground.  
  
From where he was, this close to heaven, Bran could see all of Winterfell. He liked the sight: only birds circled above his head, and the life of the castle went on below. Bran could sit for hours between the wind-blown and rain-damaged chimeras that sat over the First Tower where Artos lived. From here he could see girls gossiping by the washing well, half-brother who rode horses around the courtyard, shooting his Dornish bow at the shields from its back, and Shadow ran beside him with his tongue hanging out, men practicing fencing next to him, cooks tending their vegetables in glass gardens, dogs running restlessly in the kennel, immersed in the silence of God's grove. At such moments he felt like a castle lord; he knew even Robb wouldn't know anything like that.  
  
He learned the secrets of Winterfell through his climbs. Its builders did not level the ground, which is why hills and valleys stretched behind the castle walls. Bran discovered that a covered bridge led from the fourth floor of the bell tower to the second floor of the recruits' quarters. He also knew that it was possible to get inside the inner wall through the south gate, climb to the third floor, go around Winterfell in a narrow stone tunnel, and step out to the ground floor at the north gate, at the foot of a hundred-foot wall. Even Maester Luwin did not know about it.  
  
His mother was very afraid that one day he would fall off the wall and kill himself. He promised her to be careful, but that didn't convince her. Once she made him promise not to walk on the walls. He lasted almost a month, and each subsequent day was a real torment for him, until one night he finally came out of the bedroom window, when his brothers fell asleep.  
The next day he pleaded guilty. Lord Eddard then ordered him to go to Godswood to cleanse himself. There were even guards posted to make sure Bran spent all night thinking about his guilt. When morning came, no one could find Bran. It turned out that he was sleeping soundly in the limbs of one of the tallest guard trees of the grove.  
My father grew angry, but he couldn't help laughing. - You are not my son- he said to Bran as the latter descended to earth. - You're a squirrel. Okay. Since you can't go on without climbing, so be it, just try not to let your mother see it.  
  
And Bran did his best, although he realized that she knew everything about his exploits. Unable to find an ally in his father, she turned to the others.  
Old Nan told him a story about a naughty boy who climbed too high and was struck by lightning, and then crows flew in and tried to peck at his eyes. Bran didn't get too scared. There were crow nests at the top of the fallen tower. Sometimes he would take grain in his pocket and climb on it, and the crows would eat from his hand. Neither had ever tried to prick his eyes out.  
On another occasion, Maester Luwin made a small boy figure out of clay, dressed him in Bran's clothes, and threw him from the wall into the courtyard to demonstrate to Bran what would happen to him if he fell. He even liked that, but after the experiment, Bran looked at Luwin and said - But I'm not made of clay. Besides, I never fall.  
  
Then, for a time, the guards chased after him as soon as one saw him on the roof. He liked these moments very much.  
It reminded him of playing with his brothers, only he always won. None of the guards could climb as well as he, not even Jory. Mostly, however, they didn't see him at all. People hardly ever looked up. This is one more thing he learned from his ascent. At the time, it seemed to him that he was invisible.  
  
He also liked the feeling of excitement as he closed his fingers on the stones and pressed his feet into the cracks as he climbed the wall. He often walked barefoot on them; he felt then that he had four hands, not two. He even enjoyed the sweet pain he felt in his muscles. He liked the taste of the air high above, sweet and crisp like a winter peach. He liked birds: crows on top of a fallen tower, tiny sparrows in the cracks between stones, an old owl dozing in the dusty attic above the old armory. Bran knew them all. Most of all, he liked to go places where no one went, from where, only he could admire the gray, vast Winterfell. Then he felt that the entire castle was becoming his hiding place.  
The demolished tower became the place of his favorite trips. It used to be a watchtower and was the tallest tower in Winterfell. A long time ago, a hundred years before his father's birthday, lightning struck the tower and a fire broke out in it. The top of the tower, a third of the total, collapsed inward. No one tried to rebuild it later. Sometimes my father would send rat-catchers to her dungeon to clean the nests that the rats made among the rubble and rotting wood. Apart from Bran and the crows, no one dared climb to the jagged top of the structure.  
  
He could get there in two ways. It was possible to climb directly over the wall of the tower, but its stones fell apart because the mortar binding them broke.  
The best way started from Godswood. Bran would climb up the tall guard tree there, then, leaping from roof to roof, walked across the armory - always barefoot so that the guards wouldn't hear him. This allowed him to reach the blind area of the First Tower. This squat, round fortress - the oldest part of the castle - was taller than it looked. Only Artos Snow lived there, but the stone walls were still excellent for climbing. It was possible to go straight upstairs, where chimeras sat staring blindly into space, and then further to the north side, dangling from one hand, flipping from one chimera to the next. From there, if you stretch out well, the only thing left to do is jump to the demolished tower, which bent sharply at that point. Then it was only ten feet of climbing over the blackened stones, and the crows were waiting at the top to see if it had brought grain.  
Bran was just hanging skilfully from chimera to chimera when he heard voices. It surprised him so much that he almost gave a rocky performance. It surprised him, after all Artos was training in the courtyard!  
  
\- I do not like this. A woman's voice rang out. A row of windows stretched just below him, and the voice came from the last. It was not the least of his brother's chamber, which was slightly lower.  
\- You should be the Hand.  
\- Gods forbid - He heard the lazy voice belonging to the man. - It's not for me. Too many responsibilities.  
\- We can't trust Stark if he gets that power. We'll have a second Jon Arryn. Oh why did he agree?  
Bran still hung, listening and afraid to make any move. He was afraid they would see his feet as he tossed his body to the next chimera.  
-You should be glad he did- the man said - Your husband might as well have turned to one of his brothers, or Littlefinger. I prefer an honorable enemy rather than an ambitious one.  
\- I should have insisted that he appoint you- the woman said. - Robert would probably have succumbed to me if I had put more pressure. I was sure Stark would refuse.  
\- The Council will eat Ned Stark alive. If he had more sense, he would have stayed in the north. His place is there.  
Bran realized they were talking about his father. He wanted to hear more. Only a few more feet ... but they'll notice him if he leans out of the window.  
\- He must be watched closely- the woman said.  
\- I prefer to watch you- the man replied. He spoke in a bored voice. - Come back here.  
\- The Starks never cared about anything that happened south of the Neck- the woman said. - Never. Therefore, in my opinion, he is playing a game. Otherwise, he would not have agreed.  
\- Perhaps he made it his duty to the King. Maybe he wants to write his name in capital letters in the chronicles of history, or he wants to run away from his wife, or maybe both. It may have a thousand reasons. In my opinion, he just wants to get a good warm once in his life.  
\- Robert loves him like a brother. Don't you see the danger? No more trouble with Stannis and Renly, but Stark Robert will certainly listen. After all, his wife is Lysy Arryn's sister. You don't doubt that they are conspiring against us? I'm surprised she's not here.  
Bran looked down. There was a narrow ledge under the window, only a few inches wide. He tried to lower himself onto her. He did not. Too far.  
  
\- No matter what that Arryn woman knows or suspects, there is no evidence," the man said. He paused for a moment. - Or maybe it does?  
\- Of course not- the woman replied. - Do you think that will stop her? She has a son and she would certainly be ready to do the same for him as I do for my boy.  
Bran studied the shelf. He might try to let go. The ledge was too narrow to jump on, but if he had grabbed the edge of the ledge and then pulled it up… only they would have heard it and walked over to the window. He didn't quite understand what he was hearing, but he had no doubt that the words were not meant for his ears.  
\- You're as blind and stubborn as Robert- the woman said.  
\- If you mean that I look like he does, I agree with you- the man replied. -I see a man who would sooner die than betray the King.  
\- He has already betrayed one, have you forgotten? the woman said. - I'm telling you, I saw clearly in a dream. A wolf as big as a horse that devours the carcass of a rotting deer. What do you think it means?  
\- It means you should pay less attention to dreams- the man replied. He yawned loudly. - Are you sure you dreamed of a wolf, not a lion? I'm telling you, Stark is loyal.  
\- Oh, I don't deny it at all, but what happens when Robert dies and Joff is on the throne?- The sooner this happens, the safer we will be. My husband becomes more and more anxious every day. And it would be even worse if Stark stayed by his side. He still loves his other sister, that bland, long-deceased sixteen-year-old. I don't even see him set me back for some new Lyanna.  
Bran suddenly felt fear. He wanted to go back where he came from, to find his brothers. But what will he tell them? He decided he had to sneak closer. See who's talking.  
The man sighed. “You should think less about the future and more about the pleasures of the moment.  
\- Stop it!- the woman said. Bran heard flesh slap against flesh, then the man laughed.  
  
Bran hauled himself up, sat on the chimera, and climbed onto the roof. It wasn't hard. He crawled across the roof to the next chimera just above the window from which voices were coming.  
\- I'm sick of all this talk, sister- the man said. - Be quiet now and come here.  
Bran sat on the chimera, wrapped his legs tightly around her, and hung upside down. Keeping his legs tight, he stretched his head towards the window. The world he saw stood on its head. The courtyard below was swimming strangely; his stones were still damp from the melted snow.  
He looked inside.  
Two people struggled in the room, a man and a woman. They were both naked. Bran couldn't tell who they were. The man, with his back to Bran, was shielding the woman from him, pressing her against the wall.  
Bran heard soft, moist sounds. He realized that the man and the woman were kissing. He stared wide-eyed, horrified, and his throat tightened. The man held his hand between the woman's legs and he must have hurt her as the woman began to groan hoarsely.  
\- Stop it," she said. - Stop it, stop it. Oh, please… - She said it very quietly, though, and didn't push him away. She dipped her hands into a mop of golden hair and pulled his face to it your breasts.   
Now Bran saw her face. Her eyes were closed, her mouth was open. She was shaking her golden hair, rocking her head from side to side. He easily recognized her as the Queen.  
He must have made a noise as the woman suddenly opened her eyes and froze, staring at him  
him. She screamed shrilly.  
Then it all happened in an instant. The woman pushed the man sharply and pointed, still screaming. Bran tried to pull himself closer to the chimera, but did so too quickly. His hands only brushed the smooth stone, and his legs let go of the chimera too soon. He was falling. A window flashed past him, and he felt a momentary dizziness. He reached out quickly and grasped the edge of the stone shelf. The hand slipped, but he caught himself with the other hand.  
He was hanging against the wall, gasping for breath. Faces appeared in the window above him.  
Queen. Only now did Bran recognize her companion. They were as alike as the reflections in the mirror.  
\- He saw us- the woman said sharply.  
\- Indeed- the man replied.  
Bran's hand began to slide down the stone. He gripped the shelf with his other hand. His fingernails dug unsuccessfully into the stone. The man stretched out his arm.  
\- Give me your hand before you fall - he said.  
Bran grabbed his hand with all his might. The man pulled him up onto the ledge.  
\- What are you doing? the woman asked angrily.  
The man ignored her. He was very strong. He set Bran on the stone windowsill. - How old are you, boy?  
\- Seven - Bran replied, breathing in relief. The man's arm had deep scratches on his fingernails Brana. He released his arm.  
The man looked at the woman.  
\- What is not done for love - he said, grimacing his face as he pushed Bran.  
Bran blew up, screaming shrilly. There was nothing else to grab onto. The entire courtyard was in front of him.  
A wolf howled in the distance. Crows circled over the tower, waiting for the grain to arrive.  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bran gets his canonical fate. Then he will see Artos and others reacting to his fall.


End file.
